


The Freak Who Lived

by AcaciaRaff96



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: BAMF Minerva McGonagall, BAMF Neville Longbottom, Big Brother Draco, Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Changing POV, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, F/M, Good Severus Snape, Good Slytherins, Harry Needs a Hug, Harry just needs all the love, Harry needs to heal first, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, McGonagall is basically Harrys Mom, Not intense Age Regression, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Ron Weasley Bashing, Same with Pomfrey, Seer Luna Lovegood, Severitus | Severus Snape is Harry Potter's Parent, Severus Snape Adopts Harry Potter, Slow Burn, Slytherin Harry Potter, Suicidal Thoughts, Trauma Induced Age Regression, but hes not evil, but not yet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2020-12-20 19:49:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 44
Words: 94,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21062222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AcaciaRaff96/pseuds/AcaciaRaff96
Summary: When Harry's name comes out of the Goblet of Fire, he is kicked out of Gryffindor Tower by those he thought of as friends. It isn't until Snape finds him that the truth comes out about The Boy Who Livedfreaks sleep on the floor, freaks stay in cupboard, freaks don’t get to have friends.’ His Aunt and Uncle's words filled his head as sobs finally overtook his small frame. This is where he belonged, on the dusty floor all alone. He shouldn't be near other people; nobody wants to be near a freak.That night Harry cried himself to sleep as panic and sobs wreaked havoc on his too-small body. He paid no mind to the cold or the aches in bones. When he woke up the next morning he refused to move. This was his place now, and this is where he would stay.





	1. Another Cupboard

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, this is my first work so please be kind and feel free to let me know what you think!

_“Harry Potter,”_ the words echoed in his head as he sat frozen at the Gryffindor table. There was no applause, just the growing buzz of students standing to stare at the small boy stuck in his seat, unsure of what to do.

“Harry? Harry, move!” Hermione whispered, giving her friend a small push. As Harry left the table, he caught Ron’s eyes and saw only hatred. Dread filled his heart as he walked towards the staff table knowing he had lost his first friend. _Freaks don’t deserve friends_; he reminded himself as he approached the stage where the Headmaster stood.

“Well… through the door, Harry,” said Dumbledore, his familiar smile gone from his face, though the mischievous twinkle of his eyes still present. As Harry walked along the teachers’ table, he saw the faces of his professors ranging from disbelief, anger, astonishment, and in the case of Professor Snape, veiled disinterest, though at this point that seemed to be how his face naturally sat.

Harry went through the door out of the Great Hall and found himself in a smaller room, lined with paintings of witches and wizards. The three champions, gathered around the fire, took no notice of the small boy behind them; they did not see his shaking hands or labored breath as they spoke to one another about the upcoming tasks.

This suited Harry just fine as panic threatened to overtake him, _‘don’t cry, don’t be a freak, stop Harry! STOP!’_ he thought as he struggled to control himself. Hearing footsteps behind them, the Champions turned and finally noticed Harry’s presence, which forced him to remain calm.

“What is it?” Fleur Delacour asked, “Do Zey want us back in ze Hall?”

Before Harry could reply, Snape, Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore, Mr. Crouch, Mr. Bagman, Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime all entered the room, the latter four swooping in on Harry like vultures. Only Snape and McGonagall stood back, observing Harry and the adults who surrounded him.

Nothing made sense, the world was spinning, and the words held no meaning as each of the adults around him spoke over each other. Harry just stood there in a sea of sound, drowning, but it didn’t really matter; he knew that no matter what he said his word meant nothing. Others would decide how this would play out, just like the past three years.

“Mr. Potter, did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire,” A voice said above the crowd. All eyes turned to the Potions Master, standing calmly off to the side. He had asked the question quietly, but as usual, Severus Snape had the ability to silence the room.

“No,” Harry replied meekly.

“Well then, Mr. Crouch, the boy says he didn’t enter, and seeing as the Goblet of Fire is an extremely powerful magical object, I am inclined to believe him. He has no extraordinary powers, despite what some may believe, and would have never had been able to fool the Goblet or the Age-line” Snape said, for the first time that night Harry felt a bit hopeful. If this man, who hated him, believed him, then maybe he could be ok. “So, instead of wasting my evening, tell us what is to be done about the boy so we may all retire.” He finished with his trademark sneer.

“We must follow the rules,” Crouch said in a stiff voice, “and the rules state clearly that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the Tournament.”

Just like that, the light of hope left Harry. _Stupid freak, you know good things don’t happen to freaks like you._

“Before we can allow you to go and rest, here are some instructions for the first task.” Crouch continued, as if nothing happened, as if Harry’s world wasn’t once again shattering around him. “Champions, the first task will take place on November twenty-fourth. It is designed to test your bravery, so you will not know what you are facing. That’s all; please try and rest. Goodnight”

With that, Krum and Fleur were ushered away by their respective headmasters, and Cedric and Harry were dismissed to return to their dorms. But Harry wasn’t too keen to return to the Gryffindor common room. The looks at the feast made it quite clear to Harry that he was no longer welcome, but that was no surprise. He always knew it was a matter of time before they finally were done with him. _Who would care for a freak_?

Harry arrived in front of the Fat Lady far too soon, not knowing how he got there as his mind was pulled in so many directions. As he walked into the common room, he was met with stares and silence. Whispers and looks of contempt followed him up to the fourth-year dorm, but that was nothing compared to the site he found there.

His trunk was open, and his belongings scattered the floor. Ron was rifling through his possessions while Neville stood over him. Dean and Seamus watched with mild amusement from their four-poster beds.

“Mate, stop! Harry didn’t do it, and you’re gonna ruin something! You’re supposed to have his back, Ron,” Neville shouted. It was so unlike the sweet-tempered boy that Harry could help when his jaw dropped in shock

“He’s a right git and an arse! I wanna know how he did it! He’s supposed to be my mate, but of course, he goes off and does this so he can be a fucking hero!” he said this holding up the invisibility cloak and surveying it for clues.

“I didn’t do it, Ron. I promise,” Harry’s words came out shaky as he was on the verge of tears. His first friend was gone, lost to him because of something he didn’t do. He was going to be alone again. “Please, believe me, Ron. I don’t want this!”

“Why the fuck are you lying? We all know you’d do anything for more attention. Can’t let anyone else have any glory! No, Harry Potter needs to swoop in and be a star,” Ron sneered, it was strange to be on the receiving end of such hateful words. Ron usually reserved those for Malfoy and the other Slytherins, but it seemed Harry was now lower in Ron’s book than the snakes in the dungeon.

“Ron, mate, you know that’s not true. Please, you have to believe me! I don’t want to compete; I just want one normal year,” Harry choked out, hearing the sobs that threatened to break free. But he refused to cry; he wasn’t allowed to cry, he’d learned that the hard way years ago.

“Fuck you! Get the fuck out of here, no one wants you here anymore,” he shouted, and Harry believed him. Grabbing only his bag and his invisibility cloak, he left the Gryffindor tower in search of a place to hide, ignoring Neville as he tried to compel Harry to stay.

Harry found an abandoned classroom on the 5th floor and entered it, knowing it would be ‘home’ for a little while. Spotting a broom cupboard in the back of the room, he settled down there, finding comfort in the small space. His cupboard was the one place he was safe; his uncle couldn’t fit in there when he slept in the small room. No one could come to him in the night.

_‘Freaks sleep on the floor. Freaks stay in their cupboard. Freaks don’t get to have friends.’_ His Aunt and Uncle’s words filled his head as sobs finally overtook his small frame. This is where he belonged, on the dusty floor, all alone. He shouldn’t be near other people; nobody wants to be near a freak.

That night Harry cried himself to sleep as panic and sobs wreaked havoc on his too-small body. He paid no mind to the cold or the aches in bones. When he woke up the next morning, he refused to move. This was his place now, and this is where he would stay.


	2. Lost Little Cub

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WOW! Thank you all so much for the overwhelming response to the first chapter! I did not expect so much love from people. Special thanks to Destiny, L1f3_1s_W31rd, for doing some edits for the upcoming chapters!
> 
> As always, I love hearing your feedback and your kudos make my day <3

Breakfast the next morning was filled with the usual idiocy, the dunderheads gossiping and playing games. Snape had little patients of their foolishness today, he was up all night thinking about the Potter brat. He may not have entered the Tournament, but Snape could still blame him for causing more distress in his life. How could one boy make his life so difficult, he had hoped fulfilling his life debt to Potter would not include this much added work.

It was at this moment that he realized the brat was nowhere to be found, and Severus knew he never skipped meals (which allows struck him as odd as the boy always seemed underweight, _possibly a picky eater_?)

As classes began Snape did his best to keep the boy from his mind. His students kept him occupied while he worked to keep them from killing each other with stupid mistakes and lack of attention. Dunderheads, all of them.

The last class of the day, fourth-year Gryffindor and Slytherin, enter the room and notably to the Boy Who Lived was nowhere to be found.

“Mr. Weasley, is there a reason that Mr. Potter is not present for my class or is the Savior just too good to come to his lessons?” Severus sneered, hoping to hear that he was stuck with another Professor or with Poppy, he was prone to injuries.

“I don’t know where he is, and I don’t care” the ginger mumbled. _Well, that was odd_, the older man thought to himself. Odder still was the reaction of the meek Gryffindor in the back of the classroom.

“Professor,” Neville stammered, it was obvious to the Potions Master that this was difficult for the boy. “No one has seen Harry since last night, he hasn’t been in lessons or meals all day.”

“Well, it seems the young champion had more important things to do, no matter, I’m sure we will all survive without the presence of such a great and powerful wizard.” Snape sneered, feigning disinterest. “Antidotes, you should all have your recipes now. I want you to brew carefully, and then, we will be selecting someone on whom test one… begin”

As the student collected their ingredients Severus wrote a message to the one person on staff he knew would also be worrying about the Potter brat. Hoping he would not have to intervene, he wrote Minerva informing her that Potter was missing and asking her to join him after class.

The class proceeded uneventfully, thanks to Granger whispering instructions in Longbottom’s ear, the boy’s toad survived the poison Snape had given it after a dose of Longbottom’s antidote. As he dismissed the students Minerva entered the classroom looking distraught.

“Mr. Longbottom, please remain,” Snape said, needing more information about the disappearance of the boy-wonder.

“Severus, Mr. Potter isn’t in the hospital wing, Gryffindor Tower, or Quidditch Pitch” Minerva spoke in an uncharacteristically shaky voice. Her distress and caring for her lost lion evident.

“Professors, there was an …incident last night” Neville spoke in a soft voice, obviously frightened of the outcome of his words. “I had planned to come to you after potions if he didn’t show up, Professor McGonagall. I thought he just needed time to calm down.” Tears shown in the boy’s eyes.

“Mr. Longbottom, what kind of ‘incident’” the elderly woman spoke softly as to not scare her timid cub, it was in these moments that Severus couldn't help but admire Minerva’s abilities. She was always so attuned to her lions, knowing when to play the role of the loving and gentle mother figure and when to be the stern professor. She toed the line perfectly, inspiring love and respect from students of every house.

“When Harry came back from the Great Hall Ron was going through all his things and saying that he was a liar and that he entered to get more attention. He was screaming at him and told him to leave and that nobody wanted him. I tried to follow him out of the common room and convince him to come back, but I couldn’t find him. I don’t know where he is or if he’s ok.” Severus watched as tears ran down his face. 

“It’s alright dear, we’ll find him. If you hear anything or see him, please bring him to the Hospital Wing and Madam Pomfrey will call us. You are free to go.” McGonagall dismissed the boy with a soothing squeeze of his shoulder. Severus saw understanding in the boy's eyes, Longbottom knew the Professor would do everything in her power to keep Harry safe, with that, he left the dungeons.

Once the door closed behind Neville the two Professors locked eyes, both filled with worry. Minerva was one of the few people who knew Snape’s contempt for Harry was mostly for show. A façade he wore to protect himself and the boy from the death-eaters who had avoided Azkaban.

“Do you have any ideas where he might be, Severus?” the elderly woman asked. “I know you know many of the hidden passages and hiding spots throughout the castle.”

“The boy may have hidden in any of the passageway or abandoned room. We should check them all. But Minerva, I believe it would be in the boy's best interest to keep this between us for now” worry about how the Headmaster would behave set in his stomach like a rock. He knew the headmaster cared for the boy, but he feared it was only to the extent that a King cares for their strongest Knight, not caring for a child but a weapon in his war.

“I agree. I will look in the rooms I know of and will alert you if I find him. Please do the same” with that the fierce woman left, leaving Severus to contemplate where he might find this missing child.

After looking through every secret passageway Severus found himself on the 5th floor searching through abandoned classrooms. He was about to leave a seemingly empty room when he heard a faint whimper. Listening closely, he noticed the sound again coming from the broom closet in the back of the room, _but surely the boy hasn’t been hiding there all day, has he_? With that thought, Severus crossed the room and opened the door, shocked at what lay before him.

For the first time, Severus saw none of James Potter, instead, he saw a child. A frail, distraught child. The boy’s face was red and puffy from tears and the whimpering he heard before was separated by soft-spoken words.

“Stop crying, freak… Nobody cares… You don’t get to cry… Stop… Freaks don’t get friends.” Whispered over and over as if drilled into his mind. The child didn’t even notice his Professor until he laid a hand on the boys back. The boy flinched from his grasp and scurried to the corner; his eyes shone with fear as he tucked his body into a ball. It was a stance too familiar to Severus, the position one would take to be a small target.

“Mr. Potter, I need you to come with me to the hospital wing.” The Potions Master tried to make his voice soothing, though that was very difficult for him. He tentatively extended a hand to the boy, offering to help him to his feet. 

“No, I’m sorry sir. I’m okay, you don’t need to worry about me.” The boy’s voice was rough with tears and fear. He grasped at the wall as he pulled himself into a standing position, wincing quietly, likely from his tight muscles being stretched after being crammed into such a tiny space. Potter attempted to take a step forward, but his legs seemed unable to hold him at the moment, as he stumbled into Snape’s arms.

“Potter,” He said as he caught him, the boy flinched again, but Severus didn’t let go of the unstable boy, instead he tried to calm his voice and persuade the boy to follow. “Harry, Professor McGonagall and I have been looking for you. Mr. Longbottom told us you left the dormitories last night; did you sleep here?” Snape asked, he already knew the answer but still asked, holding on to the shred of hope that he was wrong.

But the small boy nodded. “Grab your things and come with me,” Snape said, once again trying to make his voice calming. Reluctantly the boy allowed himself to be led out of the cupboard. Upon leaving the tight space Potter extracted himself from his Professor’s side and when Severus turned to face the boy, it was like seeing him for the first time. Severus took note of the frail body, too small for someone his age, skin sickly pale and pulled tight over sharp cheekbones.

This made little sense to Severus. He’d been led to believe that the Potter boy was worshipped, treated like a little prince, spoiled rotten. But the picture in front of him spoke of a very different story, a story Severus knew far too well. Sending a quick Patronus to Minerva, Snape brought the boy to the hospital wing.

* * *

Poppy and Minerva were waiting for them in the Hospital Wing when they arrived. After ushering Potter to his ‘usual bed’ _how often does a student have to get injured to have a ‘usual bed’,_ he thought_ he was only a bloody fourth year!_ Severus pulled the two women aside to explain the situation he had found Potter in, lying on the floor of a broom cupboard, having supposedly slept there and stayed throughout the whole day. Then he came to the part that troubled him most.

“Poppy, have you ever done a full medical history scan on the boy?” he asked. Determined to understand the strange situation in front of him. A pampered brat didn’t flinch like Potter, nor would their bones be so visible.

“No, I haven’t. Why, do you ask?” the matron asked. Her eyes filled with caring for the boy. She had likely seen his face in her hospital bed to often to not have grown overly fond. It seemed every year Potter spent, at a minimum, a week with this woman, healing from whatever ‘adventure’ he, Weasley, and Granger had gone on.

“I would recommend that be performed today; I am not quite sure yet if there will be anything worth finding but… I have some suspicions about the boy’s overall health.” Severus spoke, unwilling to say more. Let them first confirm his suspicions, he could go from there.

With that the three adults move towards the teenager, again Harry retreated backward, looking less like a lion and more like a turtle hiding inside its shell. The boy’s eyes moved between the three but lingered longer on Severus, a look of pleading on his face, as though he thought the Potions Master could save him from whatever he was frightened of.

“Harry, dear. We were worried about you. We’d like to do some scans to make sure you are alright. I’ll need you to hold very still so feel free to get comfy, dear” The Matron said. Harry snuggled down into the pillows as she raised her wand over her patient. At that moment a scroll came forward to document the findings from his medical scan.

A minute passed, and then another, and another still. A scan that would usually take a minute, went for five minutes. The three adults exchanged looks of concern as the quill finally came to a halt. Poppy took the paper in her hand, reading the report. Her face turning from a face of concern to anger, to pure rage. The Matron produced copies of the report for both professors, handing them over she hisses “I have seen healthier torture victims!” under her breath, just loud enough for Minerva and Severus to hear.

Severus perused his own paper and his blood ran cold. How could they have all been so blind?


	3. The Report

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note, I am setting this story closer to the beginning of the school year. Harry is about 2 weeks into his fourth year. 
> 
> Thank you again for the amazing responses to the last chapter. You will be getting another chapter on Wednesday (I really don't count this as a full 'chapter' so I thought it would only be fair to give you guys 2 chapters this week). I will try and update every Wednesday but this is a WIP so I might slip up, forgive me!

FULL MEDICAL REPORT OF HARRY JAMES POTTER

0 Years

**Physical**: Minor cold

**Mental**: Normal development

One year

**Physical**: Killing curse / Cursed Scar {Tom Riddle}, Hypothermia {Albus Dumbledore}, Malnourishment {Petunia and Vernon Dursley}

**Mental**: Emotional Trauma {Tom Riddle, Petunia, and Vernon Dursley}

Two years

**Physical**: Malnourishment {Petunia and Vernon Dursley}, Depleting Eyesight

**Mental**: Emotional Trauma, Mental Abuse, Emotional Abuse {Petunia, and Vernon Dursley}

Three Years

**Physical**: Malnourishment {Petunia and Vernon Dursley}, Depleting Eyesight

**Mental**: Emotional Trauma, Mental Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Touch Deprivation, Childhood Depression, Childhood Anxiety

Four years

**Physical**: Malnourishment, Dehydration, {Petunia, and Vernon Dursley} Bruising (upper arm) {Dudley and Vernon Dursley}, broken wrist (Right hand) {Vernon Dursley}, burns (right hand) Depleting Eyesight

**Mental**: Emotional Trauma, Mental Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Touch Deprivation, Childhood Depression, Childhood Anxiety {Petunia, Dudley and Vernon Dursley}

Five Years

**Physical**: Malnourishment, Dehydration, {Petunia, and Vernon Dursley} Bruising (upper arm/ribs) {Dudley and Vernon Dursley}, burns (right and left hand) Depleting Eyesight

**Mental**: Emotional Trauma, Mental Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Touch Deprivation, Childhood Depression, Childhood Anxiety

Six years

**Physical**: Malnourishment / Dehydration {Petunia and Vernon Dursley}, Bruising (upper arms/ribs/ knees) {Dudley and Vernon Dursley}, Burns (right and left hand), Concussion {Dudley and Vernon Dursley}, Depleting Eyesight

**Mental**: Emotional Trauma, Mental Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Touch Deprivation, Childhood Depression, Childhood Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Suicidal Ideations

Seven Years

**Physical**: Malnourishment / Dehydration {Petunia and Vernon Dursley}, Bruising (upper arms /ribs/knees), burns (right and left hand) Depleting Eyesight, Concussion (Petunia Dursley)

**Mental**: Emotional Trauma, Mental Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Touch Deprivation, Childhood Depression, Childhood Anxiety, Major Panic Attacks, Suicidal Ideations

Eight Years

**Physical**: Bruising on full-body {Dudley and Vernon Dursley}, Malnourishment / Dehydration, {Petunia and Vernon Dursley} Contusions (upper arms / knees), burns (right and left hand) Depleting Eyesight, Concussion {Dudley and Vernon Dursley}, Fractured ribs {Dudley and Vernon Dursley}, Dislocated shoulder {Dudley and Vernon Dursley}

**Mental**: Emotional Trauma, Mental Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Touch Deprivation, Depression, Anxiety, Major Panic Attacks, Suicidal Ideations, PTSD, Dissociative Episodes

Nine Years

**Physical**: Bruising on full-body {Dudley and Vernon Dursley}, Malnourishment/ Dehydration {Petunia and Vernon Dursley}, Burns (right and left hand) Depleting Eyesight, Concussion {Dudley and Vernon Dursley}, Contusions (upper arms / knees) {Dudley and Vernon Dursley}, Re-fractured ribs {Dudley and Vernon Dursley}, Displaced Arm Break, Mis-healed ribs, Mis-healed Displaced Arm Break

**Mental**: Emotional Trauma, Mental Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Touch Deprivation, Depression, Anxiety, Major Panic Attacks, Suicidal Ideations, PTSD, Dissociative Episodes

Ten Years

**Physical**: Bruising on full-body {Dudley and Vernon Dursley}, Malnourishment / Dehydration {Petunia and Vernon Dursley}, Depleting Eyesight, Concussion, Contusions (upper arms/knees), Mis-healed ribs, Mis-healed Displaced Arm Break

**Mental**: Emotional Trauma, Mental Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Touch Deprivation, Depression, Anxiety, Major Panic Attacks, Suicidal Ideations, PTSD, Dissociative Episodes

Eleven Years

**Physical**: Bruising on full-body Malnourishment / Dehydration {Petunia and Vernon Dursley}, Depleting Eyesight, Concussion, Contusions (upper arms/knees), Mis-healed ribs, Mis-healed Displaced Arm Break, Magic core depletion {Wraith of Tom Riddle}

**Mental**: Emotional Trauma, Mental Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Touch Deprivation, Depression, Anxiety, Major Panic Attacks, Suicidal Ideations, PTSD, Dissociative Episodes

Twelve Years

**Physical**: Bruising on full-body, Malnourishment / Dehydration {Petunia and Vernon Dursley}, Depleting Eyesight, Concussion, Contusions (upper arms/knees), Mis-healed ribs, Mis-healed Displaced Arm Break, Broken Wrist, Vanished Bones, Basilisk Venom, Magical Exhaustion

**Mental**: Emotional Trauma, Mental Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Touch Deprivation, Depression, Anxiety, Major Panic Attacks, Suicidal Ideations, PTSD, Dissociative Episodes

Thirteen Years

**Physical**: Bruising on full-body, Malnourishment / Dehydration {Petunia and Vernon Dursley}, Depleting Eyesight, Concussion, Contusions (upper arms/knees), Mis-healed ribs, Mis-healed Displaced Arm Break, Major Fainting Spell, Dementors Kiss (Incomplete, no lasting damage), Magical Exhaustion

**Mental**: Emotional Trauma, Mental Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Touch Deprivation, Depression, Anxiety, Major Panic Attacks, Suicidal Ideations, PTSD, Dissociative Episodes

Fourteen Years – to date

**Physical**: Bruising on full-body, Malnourishment / Dehydration {Petunia and Vernon Dursley}, Depleting Eyesight, Concussion, Contusions (upper arms/knees), Mis-healed ribs, Mis-healed Displaced Arm Break

**Mental**: Emotional Trauma, Mental Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Touch Deprivation, Depression, Anxiety, Major Panic Attacks, Suicidal Ideations, PTSD, Dissociative Episodes


	4. Freaks Deserve to be Punished

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was reuploaded due to a small issue <3
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Harry’s bones and muscles ached, throbbing from staying on the floor for so long, had it really been almost 24 hours? But he didn’t move, he just stared at the bed next to him while his Professor spoke in hushed voices. It didn’t matter what they said or did, it never mattered. They would likely send him back to Gryffindor Tower, where everyone hated him, and forget this whole mess ever happened. Isn’t that how it always works?

“Mr. Potter, we would like to speak with you about your results.” Strangely the voice of his Potions Professor was heavy as if he was holding back his sadness or some other emotion. It seemed odd that the stoic man would allow any feelings to be present as he spoke. Harry turned around to face his Professors and saw the tears in the two women’s faces. Before he could ask what had upset them, he found himself in the arms of his Head of House. He couldn't help flinching as she approached, _Stupid freak, just be normal and take the damn hug!_ But then he quickly relaxed into the motherly woman’s embrace.

“Harry, dear. We had not known” She said as more tears streamed down her face. She pulled back and slowly raised her hand, slow enough for Harry to back away, then rested it against his cheek. She rubbed her thumb in soothing circles over his cheekbone and Harry couldn’t resist pressing into her touch.

“Is something wrong Professor?” Harry asked, unsure what had caused such extreme emotion from the usually reserved Professor. He knew they probably were a bit concerned that he wasn’t in classes, and maybe she was worried about the Triwizard Tournament, but he had never imagined he would see his Professor cry. McGonagall pulled back from Harry’s bed and stood next to Madam Pomfrey, grabbing a handkerchief from the Matron. 

“Mr. Potter, we have all three just read a full medical report, detailing your health, or lack-there-of, and the results are shocking and highly upsetting,” Snape spoke softly, as if to a child. Under normal circumstances, this may have angered Harry, but he didn’t have the energy to be angry today. Why did Snape care? Shouldn’t he celebrate that Harry was being punished for not being normal, for being attention-seeking with his freakish behavior?

“You are under no obligation to answer, but the three of us would like to ask you some questions about the abuse that is in this report,” Snape continued “would you be willing to clarify some things for us?”

What did he mean ‘abuse’?

“Sir, I wasn’t abused,” Harry replied. The Dursley’s didn’t like him but he wasn’t abused. He was just a freak, and freaks have to be punished. He had seen what abuse looked like, his Aunt would point out the stories on the news to show him how lucky he was. Those kids were chained up, beaten until they were unrecognizable or much, much worse. He shuddered slightly recalling the stories his aunt had shown him after a teacher had questioned him about a bruise on his arm. He wore long sleeves from then on, and that teacher was fired a week later.

His words were met with blank stares until the Potions Master surprised everyone by getting down to his knees, so he could be at face level, and reaching out to touch Harry’s arm.

“Harry”, he said, gaining a shocked look from the young boy, “you may not believe that you were abused, but the results of this medical examination say differently. I do not believe I am a person who is easily shocked or upset but what has happened to you has done just that to me. I feel I must apologize; I was under the assumption that you were safe and spoiled by the relatives you lived with, and I used that as an excuse for taking my past grievances with your father out on you. I am so incredibly sorry, Harry. I hope one day you might forgive me.”

Harry could only nod in response to this, shocked by the sincerity of Snape's words. He could feel tears start to fill his eyes as he contemplated what he just heard. He never would have believed this man would apologize for anything, especially to Harry. He wasn’t ready to say he had forgiven the stoic man yet, but he knew he would.

The three teachers then took seats around Harry’s bed and Madam Pomfrey offered him a cup of tea, which he took gladly, happy to have something to do with his hands.

“Since the age of one you have been considered malnutrition and, according to this report, your Aunt and Uncle are to blame. Was food withheld from you on a regular basis?” The medi-witch asked in a professional tone very similar to Snape. Harry briefly wondered if it was a talent all Slytherin possessed or were they taught after being sorted.

“Um, well yes, but that's a normal punishment. It was usually when I did something wrong.” Harry reasoned. He knew kids were sent to bed without supper when they were being punished, and he was always being punished for something. “It’s not really that bad. I mean, I’m fine, right?” He tried to block out the memories of his relatives sitting at the table eating a meal he had cooked while he cleaned the kitchen. After they would throw any leftovers into the bin and dump detergent over it so he couldn’t eat their scrapes… again. _Only a freak would eat out of the bin, remember when you did that?_

The three Professors shared a look between themselves, each of them looking tense as they digested Harry’s words. Though none of them said a word it seemed they had reached an agreement to say nothing on this matter because Madam Pomfrey continued with another question.

“And it seems you have multiples years of burns on your hands, how did you get those Harry?” The Matron continued.

“Oh, probably from cooking. That was one of my chores, but I really like cooking” he added. He did enjoy cooking quite a bit, it might not be masculine, but it was fun. “I sometimes would get burnt by the grease, or when I was younger I had trouble reaching the stove and would sometimes drop stuff.” He shuddered, remembering when he had spilled hot soup on himself and the floor, he had been locked in his cupboard for five days for ruining dinner.

Professor McGonagall looked at Harry in disbelief, “Harry, these burns started when you were four years old. Do you mean to say you were cooking, as a chore and not as recreation, at such a young age?”

“That's when I started, but I only made them breakfast and lunch until I was six. I wasn’t good with making too much until I got older so Aunt Petunia didn’t trust me to make dinner.” Harry said, still unaware of why they were reacting so strangely. Everyone had chores, well maybe not Dudley or Malfoy, but he knew most kids had chores. He just had more.

“I believe we should move on, we can come back to this later.” The medi-witch said, stopping Professor McGonagall as she was about to open her mouth. “Harry, there are many injuries listed on this report, did you ever see a muggle doctor while you lived with your relatives?” Madam Pomfrey asked.

Well, of course, he hadn’t, the Dursleys didn’t want people to know they lived with a freak. “No, they usually just threw me in my cupboard til’ I stopped crying.” At this, Professor McGonagall looked at him in outrage.

“What do you mean ‘your cupboard’?” she asked in a tight voice

“The cupboard under the stairs. It was my bedroom until I got my first Hogwarts Letter. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon thought they were being spied on so they moved me into Dudley’s second bedroom. Didn’t you know about that? My Letter was addressed to ‘the cupboard under the stairs’?”

The tears returned to Professor McGonagall’s eyes. “Those letters are written by an enchanted quill, Harry. We had no idea.” She said.

Harry turned to see Madam Pomfrey, her eyes filled with rage. As both women seem indisposed Snape continued questioning Harry.

“You never saw a doctor? Where are your glasses from if you never had an eye doctor's appointment?” Snape asked.

“Oh, after a teacher complained about me not being able to see the chalkboard Aunt Petunia got a pair from a yard sale down the street. They aren’t great but as long as I sit near the front, I can see the board. They work well enough for me to catch the snitch.” He added at the end, hoping to lighten the mood. He hated seeing Professor McGonagall upset, she was always so nice to him.

“Well, I believe we will have to get you a pair of glasses better suited for your eyes, and soon.” Harry didn’t like the idea of spending money on that, but before he could say that he didn’t need new glasses Snape continued. “This says you have had quite a few broken bones, some of which had not reset properly and major bruising, the report says your Uncle and Cousin are responsible, is this true?” he asked gently.

“Well, yeah. But it’s not that bad. Sometimes Dudley and his friends will catch me when they’re Harry Hunting or Uncle Vernon will throw me a bit too hard during a punishment, but I usually deserve it for doing something freakish.” Harry didn’t understand what the problem was, this was just his life. No one had cared before, why were they asking questions now?

“What do you mean by ‘freakish’, Mr. Potter?” Snape moved closer to Harry, looking him in the eye. “Do mean Magic? Because I would have thought that after the past three years you would see that being a wizard doesn’t make you a freak. You wouldn’t think that about Miss Granger, would you?”

“It’s not the same.” And it wasn’t. Hermione was wanted, she was brilliant, beautiful, and kind. Harry wasn’t, he was a burden, a freak. His relatives had tried to fix him, tried to beat the freakiness out of him, but it never worked. He felt tears escape his eyes once more, falling onto his cheeks for all to see. _Stupid freak can’t stop crying like a baby. Freaks deserve to be punished. _The never-ending choir repeated loudly in the back of his mind as it grew harder and harder to breath. Harry worked to fill his lungs but he could barely hold onto reality. He pulled his legs to his chest, curling into a ball as his world spun around him, unable to control the pounding in his head. _Freaks deserve to be punished. Freaks deserve to be punished. Freaks deserve to be punished._

“Harry, breath. It’s okay, we are here, and no one is going to hurt you.” A soothing, warm voice repeated. Sweet, gentle words reached Harry’s ears, reminding him of where he was. “That’s right, deep breath in… and out. Good, again, in ... and out.” Harry felt a hand run up and down his back, petting him as if he was a cat, calming him with each gentle stroke as he followed the voice to calm him breathing. The hand never left his back, grounding him as the voice coaxed him back to reality. After what felt like hours Harry was able to sit up again, returning to the present.

“Mr. Potter, I would like to clarify one thing you just said.” Harry turned to see that hand belonged to his stoic potions Professor. He hadn’t known he had said anything out loud, but he blushed in embarrassment, know that the words had likely been. “You did not deserve anything that has happened to you. The abuse detailed in this report is sick, you have survived many horrid things at such a young age, and I personally will not allow you to return to the monsters who have done this to you.”

Harry felt a spark of hope burning within him. If the Professor who hated his most in the world would be willing to help him get away from the Dursley’s, maybe he could actually be free. Tears flowed freely down Harry’s face again.

“Really? I won’t have to go back?” Harry asked, his face filled with childlike hope as if you had told a toddler they were meeting Santa.

“Yes, Minerva, Poppy, and I will not allow you to return. Even if one I must steal you away in the night.” Snape said with a small smirk. It made such a change to the usual sour face of this Professor.

At these words Harry threw himself into the arms of the older man in front of him and sobbed, the floodgates fully opening. The only words he could form through his tears was “Thank you”


	5. Hush, Child

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I want to say thank you for all the support! I have been overwhelmed by the love in the comments! I love hearing your feedback and hope you continue to enjoy this story! <3

Severus held the sobbing child in his arms, again speaking gentle words of encouragement, reminding the boy to breathe, telling him it was okay to cry, and reminding him that he was there and wasn’t going anywhere.

_Merlin, Severus! You’re acting like a damn Hufflepuff_. He chastised himself. But he couldn’t bring himself to care. He had known this boy’s pain too well to care if his mask fell, if the stone face of a spy gave way to softer features. The boy clung to him like a lifeline, and Severus couldn’t help but run his hands up and down the boys back. He winced as he felt every rib and each notch of his spine through his robe.

“Harry, can you sit up and take some potions for us? We are concerned about your injuries and weight and would like to do everything we can to remedy these issues.” Severus asked in his low, gentle voice.

Harry removed his head from the crook of his neck and Severus was met with piercing green eyes, red and puffy from the prolonged tears. For the first time, Severus didn’t see Lily in those eyes, Lily had never known this kind of pain and sadness, it hurt to see those beautiful eyes so distraught.

“Which potions?” Harry’s voice was rough and thick, speaking through the lump in his throat. “And, you don’t need to worry about the weight, I eat enough when I’m at school. I don’t want you to waste them on me,” the boy said. Did he not see himself? He was skin and bones, if Severus didn’t know better, he would have thought he was a first-year by how small he was, not a fourth year.

“Harry, we will not be arguing about this. You will be taking the potions Professor Snape and I give you without question!” Madam Pomfrey said. Her voice was stern but filled with love, like a wise grandmother. Severus pondered that the woman most likely felt that was towards the boy and possibly many others.

Severus pulled out his wand and summoned two potions and two jars from the medical stores. He held the first up to the teenager, a small vial with an iridescent red liquid inside.

“This is a general healing potion,” he began to explain, feeling that Harry would be more likely to take the potions if he knew what was happening. “It won’t heal the extensive damage your body has undergone, but it should ease much of the pain you feel at this time.” He handed the boy they vial and watched as he down the substance without issue.

After a small grimace, the potion contained too much Bubotuber Pus to be anything close to palatable, a look of relief spread across the child’s face. As the potion took effect the Professor could see the tension begin to leave Harry’s back and shoulders.

“Good, now this is a Scar Removal Paste made with Murtlap Essence,” Severus continued, holding up a jar filled with a light blue cream. “I can see you have small burn scars on your hands, and I feel safe in assuming there are more on your person?” he questioned, though both he and Potter knew the answer. With reluctance, the boy nodded. “While this jar,” he said lifting a jar filled with yellow paste, “is a bruise healing salve, will you allow either myself or Madam Pomfrey to use these?”

Though Poppy had said he didn’t have a choice, Severus was not in the habit of forcibly using potions and salves on people, let alone children. The child in front of him was not going to be the exception, especially since Severus was starting to see that this boy was rarely given a choice on how his life and body were treated.

Harry looked at Severus for a moment before nodding again. He sat up and began to unbutton his shirt revealing his chest and stomach, his eyes cast down with shame. The area was covered in bruises and scars. The bruises surrounding his ribs had were a deep purple while the surrounding area had taken on a yellow/green tinge indicating that they were a week old.

Anger like Severus had never known coursed through him. How could someone do this to a child? Memories came to him of his father and how his body would bruise so easily, but that was nothing compared to the sight in front of him. He thought back to his childhood and the sister of his best friend, how she had taunted Lily and him for their ‘freakishness’, screeching in a shrill voice how they were a danger to society. He remembered the same girl laughed when she saw bruises on Severus’ face, celebrating that ‘at least your father is trying to beat the freak out of you, our parents won’t fix Lily’. How could Dumbledore have placed Harry with Petunia when he knew she hated magic to that extent?

“Oh, Harry.” A sad sigh came from behind his shoulder as Minerva took in the sight of her abused cub. Next to her, Poppy’s eyes were filled with the same rage that Severus felt, the two Slytherin’s both overcome with a need for revenge.

“Can you…” Harry began in a quiet whimper; he met Snape’s eyes for a small moment and then quickly looked away, blushing slightly with embarrassment. Severus couldn’t fathom how the boy had come to trust him enough to heal his battered body but, if the boy wanted his assistance then we would give it.

“Of course, I’ll start with the bruises” Severus narrated as he dipped his fingers in the yellow paste and went to work. “It will be a bit cold and possibly sting as it heals Mr. Potter, if it is causing pain you must let me know.” When he laid his hands on the boy he was once again struck by how frail he felt, the bruises were concentrated on his ribs so he could feel how tight the skin was pulled over the bones. Harry hissed at first as Snape applied to Salve but after a moment he relaxed into his touch, the tension leaving as he healed.

“My traditional going back to school gifts, my Uncle is big on traditions,” Harry said in a dry, sarcastic voice. It startled Severus how the boy could joke about such things. Maybe the boy used this as a defense mechanism? Not knowing how to respond Severus focused on his work, gently rubbing the salves and creams into the boy marred skin until he had finished with the front of the boy.

“Well, did he leave any gifts on your back as well?” he asked, knowing the answer. Harry shuffled around revealing his back to his professor, being careful to avoid eye contact. Scars covered the boys back, straight lines running at different angles, some fresh, either still a blistering red or some deeper gashes that had scabbed over, others looking years old, faded to white. The unmistakable sign of a belt being brought down.

Once again Severus felt his control begin to slip as he struggled to not scream. How had everyone, including himself, not seen this? The so-called ‘Savior’ of the wizarding world was watched by all and yet it seemed no one could see the truth of what he was; an abused little boy.

Said boy was currently fighting back more tears as he lay on his stomach before his Professor. Severus could see his lips moving and moved closer to hear the boy.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry” Harry repeated. Severus could feel his heartbreaking, a heart he had long since believed he didn’t possess. 

“Hush child, you have nothing to apologize for. I’m going to use the same two balms I used on your chest, after that hopefully you can get some rest and we can continue speaking in the morning, would that be agreeable Harry?”

“Okay” was all the response he got before he continued covering the boy in healing balms. When he was finished he watched as many of the scars faded dulled in color. He knew the child's skin would never be blemish-free, the scars where too old or too deep for them to fade to nothing, but he would do his best.

“As I mentioned before, many of your broken bone did not heal correctly, so, if you consent, once you fall asleep myself and Madam Pomfrey will be able to reset them. You will not feel a thing, as I am first going to give you dreamless sleep. When you wake up tomorrow, your mis-healed bones should all be in their correct place. How does that sound?”

The small boy nodded, blushing slightly as he re-buttoned his shirt. He was obviously embarrassed by the attention he was receiving, but they could deal with his discomfort later, Severus thought. At the moment he knew it was best to get the child's body back in working order. He felt that, once Harry’s body was healed it might be easier for his mind to heal as well.

“Now, this is a Dreamless Sleep potion,” he raised the purple concoction to the boy. “This should help you get a full night's sleep, something I assume you have been lacking, and allow you to sleep through the realigning of your bones. Drink it all, Mr. Potter. We will be here in the morning to speak more. Goodnight”

With that, he turned around and beckoned the women behind him to follow him. As he walked away, he heard a faint “Goodnight Professor”, but when he turned all he saw was a sleeping boy.


	6. Three Against One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Again I am overwhelmed by the love and support in the comment!
> 
> Quick question, I have decided to involve more people in the changing POV (it will still be mainly Severus and Harry) and was wondering, would you prefer if I started those moments and each chapter by telling you that the POV has changed or do you like it the way it is in this chapter?
> 
> Please let me know in the comments, I am happy either way and would love the input!

After Poppy and Severus worked to re-break and reset Harry’s arm and rib, the three adults left the sleeping boy tucked, nice and cozy, in his hospital bed and walked into Madam Pomfrey’s office. Quietly they all sat, none of them having the courage to break the silence that surrounded them. After 5 minutes, or it may have been hours, Severus took in a deep breath and asked the question he knew was on everyone's mind.

“Well, what do we do now? I believe it goes without question that the boy will not be returning to those monsters” he stated, but what does one do when they find out that the orphaned Boy Who Lived is being abused? Dumbledore was adamant about keeping the blood ward intact, but at what cost?

“That depends, do we think Albus knew? Or was he just too focused on the war to notice?” Minerva said, “I watched the Dursley’s the day Harry was left on their doorstep. I told Albus they were the worst sort of Muggles, yet he said it was safest for Harry to be there. I can’t imagine he knew what they were doing.” Her voice was still thick with tears.

“Well he should have!” exclaimed Poppy, surprising them all. “He was in charge of the boy’s well-being and yet he never checked on the boy once!” She was visibly shaking with rage, looking as if she was seconds from finding the Dursley’s and repaying their treatment of Harry tenfold. “Potter is a boy, not a weapon or a pawn in Albus’ war!” As she said these words she walked over to her fireplace and threw floo-powder in before lowering her head to the hearth.

“ALBUS, COME THROUGH NOW!” the Matron hollered. At that moment Severus was thankful for both the silencing wards that were on all Professors Offices and the strength of his Dreamless Sleep potion, otherwise, he was sure Potter would have woken up.

Moments after Poppy withdrew her head from the fire Albus Dumbledore step through, looking blissfully unaware of the situation he was walking into.

“Good evening Poppy, is something wrong?” Severus watched as the old man took in the sight before him. Though he and Minerva got along well it was rare that the two were both needed when a problem with a student arose, the exception usually being Potter.

“Something is very wrong! How could you let Harry stay with those disgusting people all this time!” Minerva shouted, standing to hand the headmaster a copy for Potter’s medical history.

As the headmaster read the report the sparkle of his eyes dimmed beneath his half-moon spectacles. It was moments like these when Severus was reminded that Albus was not just an old fool (however, there was no denying that he often was) but a fearsome wizard. The set of the elder’s jaw and clenched fists around the parchment soothed at least one fear for the Potions Master; Albus didn’t know how his golden boy was being treated. However, that also meant that the old man had not bothered to keep an eye on him. Severus did not think that his ignorance was much better.

“Where is he?” Albus asked in a soft whisper, his voice filled with regret. _Good_, Severus thought, _you should feel like shit for what the boy has been through_. He was again struck by how quickly his thought about the boy had changed. In less than a day he had gone from despising the boy for the sins of his father to caring for the boy and feeling fiercely protective.

“He’s sleeping in the infirmary. I gave him a potion for pain before healing his extensive bruises and scaring, I then gave him Dreamless Sleep so Poppy and I could break and reset his bones. I am hoping you can come up with a brilliant idea so that the child doesn’t have to go back to being a punching bag, then maybe I can brew him personalized potions so he can heal faster” Snape sneered.

“I had no idea; I thought the blood wards would keep him safe. These people are his family.” The Headmaster said, obviously trying to convince himself more so than the three other people in the room. “If this is what he has endured he cannot return, but I fear what will happen if he is left without those wards to protect him. When Voldemort returns, I fear that standard wards, even those made by highly experienced wizards, will not be strong enough.”

Severus understood this fear, as the Dark Mark on his arm grew darker every day, he knew that the boy was likely to come face to face with the Dark Lord once more, and soon. The blood ward Dumbledore spoke of used Lily’s sacrifice, her love, to keep him safe. Tethering that ancient magic to the blood of Lily’s sister, the only living blood relative Harry had left… _Blood!_

“These Blood Wards, they require someone that shares blood with Harry to house him? Do they need to be related to Lily, or do they just need to share blood with Potter?” Severus asked, coming to a realization that may just work. The child needed to consent to it, and they would need to visit Gringotts, but it could work.

“I believe that the person needs to be a blood relative of Harry’s, a close blood relative. If it didn’t need to be close we could have chosen any pureblood family, since they are almost all related in some way” the Headmaster replied.

Leaving the discussion of Pureblood family inbreeding for another day Severus revealed his plan. “The boy could be Blood Adopted? I’m sure the Weasleys would love to take him in,” he then remembered the way Potter’s ‘best friend’ has treated him and amended, “or any old member of the Order, possibly the wolf? He would need to be asked his opinion but I have a strong feeling he will not object.” He knew it would work, and from the looks on the faces around him, they agreed.

“That might work,” Albus pondered the suggestion for a while, “But we cannot ask the Weasleys, no matter how much they love the boy they cannot take another child into their home, especially with the amount of support Harry will need. Lupin is not suitable either as he will be indisposed for multiple days out of the month leaving Harry to himself. He will need someone who can help him mentally and physically heal from his trauma. He’ll need someone with a medical background, at least enough to keep a close eye on him, as well as someone who can prepare him for what will lie ahead without coddling or frightening him. Someone who is a strong enough wizard to keep him safe” Albus finished his description and Severus noticed the three sets of eyes that landed on him.

“No!” Severus said, standing from his chair. “I have made this boy's life a nightmare for the past three years and you think it's a good idea for me to take him into my home?” He was shocked they would even suggest such a thing. “The child has been through enough without having to be adopted by the ‘greasy dungeon bat’. Even if I am better than his relatives, that is a very low bar to surpass.” He reasoned.

“And yet,” Minerva said from the chair to his right. “It was you he clung to when he was sobbing. You were the one who got him to speak, the only one who could stay calm in the face of his abuse, and the one he felt comfortable touching him to apply the Bruise and Scar Pastes. He could have asked Poppy or me, but he asked you.” As she finished she gave him a small smile.

“If memory serves you also promised him that he would never be going back, even if you had to ‘steal him away in the night’, I think that is how you phrased it?” Poppy added. “He trusts you. I doubt he understands it himself but despite the problems you have had in the past he seems to feel comfortable with you.”

Severus contemplated these words. It was true; he was, on paper, suited to take the boy in. He had medical training that came with getting is Potions Mastery, so he understood the spells and potions need to nurse him back to health. Being a Master Brewer he could brew whatever the boy needed to heal. He was familiar with abuse, both from personal experience and from his time as head of Slytherin (too many pureblood families still had an archaic view on punishment) so he was familiar with coping mechanisms, avoiding triggers, and other forms of emotional healing. He was financially able to support a child between his salary and inheritance, so that was no issue. But then he remembered his position, the reason he was by Dumbledore’s side. “And what of my position as your spy?” Severus asked, “Do you think the Dark Lord will allow me to live and remain by his side whilst I am caring for the boy who caused his downfall?”

Albus contemplated his question, “It seems likely Voldemort will not allow you at his side regardless of your connection to our young Harry. I may have hoped to keep a spy within the Death Eaters but, I believe this may be more important. That is, of course, only if this is something you want, my boy,” he finished, the signature twinkle glowing in his eyes.

Did he want this? He couldn’t deny the overwhelming need to protect the boy in the other room. He had seen many children in abusive families while he taught at Hogwarts, Slytherin house was filled with students whose parents were brutal when it came to punishments, however, he had never seen a child so terribly treated the way Potter was. So, yes. He did want this. But would Potter accept him? 

“We will ask the boy tomorrow” Severus decided. “If Harry agrees we will go to Gringotts tomorrow and have the adoption completed, I believe it would be in Harry’s best interest to do this quickly so he can be settled before the winter holiday.” After a moment of contemplation Severus added, “We will also need to get him glasses, his relatives never bothered to get his eyes checked properly.” he stood up and straightened his robes, “I am going to go brew, I feel the boy will need Nutrient Potions with every meal as well as more Healing Potions and Salves. They will be more useful if they have been brewed fresh”

With that he left the office and walked through the infirmary, stopping for a moment at the foot of Harry’s bed. He looked down at the soft features on the child, adorably curled up on his side in front of him; messy black hair, soft lips pulled into a content smile, and little hands curled up next to his chin. Suddenly Severus had a thought, a wild thought for a man who had long since given up on his desire for a family; _Tomorrow this boy could be my son._

* * *

Dumbledore returned to his office that night distraught, he truly had not known the extent of Harry’s abuse. True, he had expected the boy to be mistreated, he needed Harry to grow a thick skin to handle what the war would throw at him, but if he had known…

He ponders for a moment what he would have done? Would he have come to rescue him? The boy had been exactly what he needed, acting according to plan. He was always running to protect others, even at the risk of his own life, just as Albus knew he would need to do if Voldemort was to be truly defeated. What was the price Albus would allow the boy to pay?

He thought on this for a while, and then his thought stumbled to Severus. Another child who he had allowed to be abused. He had known of the boy's father, how his mother would not use magic to protect them from his beatings. But, he had always believed that those troubled years had made Severus stronger. Maybe he was right, maybe he wasn’t. Either way, it was too later to change the past.

He had just paired his strongest soldier with his growing weapon… it was the best he could ask for. Severus had become useless as a spy; no one would trust him when Voldemort returned, so it was better to have him training and protecting Harry. Maybe it would bring them some happiness. He was doubtful they would both live through this war, his own days were numbers as it was, but maybe together they could heal a few of each other’s scars and find some joy before they all likely met their end.


	7. Breakfast For Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I am floored by the love and support, you are all amazing! <3

Harry woke the next morning feeling better than he had in years. The aches that usually plagued him had dulled or left him completely. He felt warm and safe. That thought snapped him out of his slumber as he remembered the event from the following nights; The Goblet, sleeping in the cupboard, being found by Snape, talking about the Dursleys, and crying on the man's shoulder, then the embarrassment of having Snape heal his bruised body.

_Well, if he didn’t think you were a disgusting freak before, he does now. And you made him touch you, filthy freak._

How could he do that, and after the Professor had apologized to him? Now Snape would never want to be near him. He briefly remembered the promise Snape had made to him ‘You will not be going back, even if I have to steal you away in the night.’ Well, Harry could kiss that wish goodbye; he’d ruined it like everything else in his life. 

Stopping his train of thought, at that moment the infirmary door opened and said Professor walked in, coming to stop at Harry’s bedside.

“Good morning Mr. Potter, are you feeling any better today?” Snape asked. He was speaking with the same gentle tone he had used the night before, but Harry was not convinced that the Professor wasn’t disgusted by him.

“Yes sir,” he replied in a tentative whisper, lowering his head to look at his hands. He was unsure of how the Professor would react but knew that keeping a low voice and avoiding eye contact could save him from punishment. _But, freaks deserve to be punished._

“I have made some more potions that I need you to take. However, you will need to eat first, Winnie.” At this, a small house elf apparated to the side of Professor Snape. She was dressed in a clean, white tea towel with the Hogwarts Crest embroidered on the front.

“Good mornings Master Snape, what can Winnie bes getting for you?” The small creature spoke in a high pitched voice, much like Dobby.

“Mr. Potter and I will be needing breakfast.” The Professor said. ‘_Did this mean Snape was having breakfast with me?’ _Harry thought_ ‘would he waste his morning on me?’ _“I would like eggs with a side of bacon, rye toast, and fruit. I will also be needed a rather large mug of coffee. Mr. Potter, what would you like?” Snape finished, turning his eyes to Harry.

“Ummm, just some toast and pumpkin juice?” he posed as a question, unsure how much he was supposed to ask for. During his previous stays in the hospital wing, he would often wake up to food, Madam Pomfrey likely choosing what he would be eating. He had never minded that, he had become so accustomed to not getting food that we could eat whatever was in front of him happily. “I’m not that hungry,” he lied. However, at this moment his traitorous stomach had decided to voice its opinion on his hunger, quite loudly. 

Snape looked at him. When he spoke his tone was impatient, yet the sympathy in his eyes was undeniable. “Harry, you are severely malnourished from years of being underfed. So, though it may have been your habit to eat such small amounts and not ask for food when you are hungry, I will not allow that to continue. You will never have food withheld from you again, I swear it.” 

Snape never broke eye contact with him as he spoke, and for the first time, Harry felt like someone understood. Mrs. Weasley allows feed him and told him he looks ‘peaky’, Hermione made comments about how he didn’t eat enough, and the quidditch team often made fun of how tiny he was, but no one had understood what was happening. Until now apparently.

Only again Harry felt pressure in his throat as tears lined his eyes. He had spent years holding back tears, they only lead to harder beating and longer punishments, but in the past two days, he had cried more than he had in a lifetime. 

Harry moved his gaze from his Professors to the house-elf in front of him and fixed his order. “Can I have the same as Professor Snape with Pumpkin Juice, please?” He quickly turned back to the Professor, seeking approval. He had not known how important getting the man's approval would be, but when he was rewarded with the faintest ghost of a smile, a sight he had never thought he would see, he couldn’t deny how wonderful it made him feel.

Winnie vanished with a crack only to return seconds later with two hot breakfasts. Snape conjured a chair for himself and accioed a tray table for Harry to rest his food on. The food smelled delicious and Harry was struck with how hungry he was, had he really not eaten since the feast two days ago? Before he could take his first bite Snape placed a vial filled with a green liquid, to Harry.

“A nutrient potion, it will help you gain weight and strengthen you, much like muggle vitamins. It also has an appetite stimulant and anti-nausea properties, both will help you eat a bit more than you might usually be able to.”

Without a second thought, he downed the contents, grimacing at the taste, and began eating. He had to force himself to take it slow; knowing what would happen if he ate too fast after not eating for a while, even with the potions, he did not trust his stomach. _‘I will not throw up in front of Snape, he only just stopped hating me’_ he thought to himself, slowly chewing each delectable morsel. 

The two men ate, in silence, neither comfortable making small talk. But, the silent company was comforting to Harry. He had tried to grow accustomed to the loud atmosphere that accompanied Gryffindors wherever they went, but it was always too much for him. He preferred this; quiet company. That explained how his closest friend was Hermione and why he had been growing closer to Neville, they understood the need for calm.

When the two men had finished their breakfast Snape levitated both plates and moved them to the side for the house elves to collect. Snape then sat before Harry, hands clasped in his lap, looking down. They sat like this for a few minutes before Snape spoke.

“Harry, last night we, that is Professor McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey, The Headmaster, and I, may have found a solution to your living arrangements.” The Professor paused, and Harry took a moment to understand what that meant.

‘A solution to your living arrangements’ did that mean Snape hadn’t lied? Could he really be done with the Dursleys? Harry said nothing, afraid he would jinx his luck if he dared acknowledge where this conversation may be leading.

“We looked into the blood wards that were being used to protect you while you stayed with those… your relatives.” He spoke the last words through clenched teeth “It has become clear that to keep those intact for your protection we will need to house you with someone who shares blood with you and is a close relation”

Just as quickly as his hopes had risen they crashed down once again. He had no one else, no family that anyone knew of at least. He felt his body begin to shake as he resigned himself to his fate, he would be with the Dursley’s until he came of age… _‘If I last that long’_

He was vaguely aware of his Professor speaking to him but he couldn’t focus on his words. Instead, a litany of all too familiar phrases taunted him; _you thought someone else would want you? Freaks don’t get good things, and that's all you are. Your Aunt and Uncle were right, you have no one._

Suddenly he felt his hand being picked up and jerked his head up to look at his Professor, having moved to sit on the edge of his bed, as he placed their combined hands over Snape’s heart. 

“Follow my breathing, in… and out… Good, when you feel my chest go up breath in… and when it goes down breath out… that’s it… just focus on my voice… and your breathing… just like that… good… a few more times… and out.” Harry hung onto every word, and slowly the other voices disappeared; there were only his Professor’s calming voice and the gentle rise and fall of their breathing.

After a moment Snape removed their joined hands from his chest, however, He did not let go out the child’s small hand. Harry didn’t mind, it felt nice; safe. 

“Harry, I assume you became upset because you believed you would be sent back to the Dursleys. However I will remind you, I made you a promise and I intend to keep it. You will never be going back there.”

“But sir,” Harry said, hoping that his Professors had thought this through. “I don’t have any other blood relatives.”

Harry watched as his Professor took a deep breath as if bracing himself for something terrifying.

“Harry, have you ever heard of a blood adoption?” When the Professor asked this Harry was certain he heard a bit of trepidation, but he doubted that. Severus Snape didn’t seem the type to be timid in anything, so Harry disregarded that notion.

“I haven’t, but I assume it’s like a normal, muggle adoption but magical… and it has to do with blood?” His answer sounded childish after he said it but, if Snape had any comments, he thankfully kept them to himself.

“I the simplest terms, yes. Blood Adoptions are a form of magical adoption where an Adult and a Child are bonded through a potion containing the blood of both people. It is done at Gringotts and, after the ritual is completed, the two people are considered Parent and Child in the eyes of the law, Lady Magic, and by blood” Snape explained.

“Alright, that sounds simple enough, but that means someone would have to want to adopt me. We’d have to find someone who’d want me.” Harry couldn’t help it when the voice in his head reminded him _‘who would want a freak, no one wants you!’_

“Well, Harry. That is actually what I wanted to speak with you about. How would you feel if I adopted you?”


	8. The Question

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Hello! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! For those of you in the USA, have a wonderful Thanksgiving. For those of you not in the USA.... have a wonderful day! <3

“Well, Harry. That is actually what I wanted to speak with you about. How would you feel if I adopted you?” Severus asked, trying to not sound either desperate or overly emotional.

He had been thinking about this as he brewed through the night, imagining what it would mean to take the child into his home, and he couldn’t help but smile. He had always wanted a child, but his place as a spy wouldn’t allow for it, he would be putting any children he may have at risk. But, Harry was at risk no matter if he was his son or not. Unlike most, this boy could be safer with Severus by his side.

The child looked down at his hands distraught, and though he’d never admit it, Severus’ heart grew heavy with the weight of his incoming rejection.

“You’re being forced to take me, aren’t you?” came a timid voice from the bed next to him. Potter’s eyes never left his hands as he spoke. “I don’t want to be a burden on you, Sir. I know you don’t actually want me. I’ll tell Dumbledore that it’s ok if I go back, you shouldn’t be forced to deal with me.”

Severus leaned forward and slowly extended his hands, being careful to keep him moments gentle so he would not frighten the small boy. Finally, his hands reached their destination and he held both of Harry’s small hands in his own. Green eyes lifted to meet obsidian, and once again Severus was struck by the pain in the small boy’s stare.

“Harry, I will not lie to you and say this was my idea. I would not have thought of myself to be your… guardian” he chose the word carefully, feeling that ‘father’ was not entirely appropriate. “However, I was given a choice, just as you are being given one. I would like to adopt you Harry, but if that is something you do not want we will find another way. As I said before, you will never be returning to the Dursley’s home.”

The boy let out a shaky breath, “But, why would you want a freak like me? I’m just a burden, sir.” He said these words as if they were drilled into his head, and possibly they were, Severus thought.

In a rare showing for vulnerability, Severus decided to be honest and open with the boy. “Because I was once in a very similar situation, having someone try to ‘beat the magic out of me’, but I had nowhere to go to be safe. I want you to feel safe, Harry. I want you to have somewhere that is a home, and I believe I can provide that. I know you have never seen anything from me but cruelty and anger, but I promise I am not as jaded as the Professor you have known. I am not the kindest man, I am not emotional or sentimental, but I will do everything in my power to keep you safe if I am to adopt you. But, it is your choice entirely, I will not force you to do this, nor will I allow anyone else to manipulate your decision.”

When he finished he sat in silence, allowing Harry to digest everything he had just said. He kept the boy’s small hands in his; gently rubbing his thumbs over Harry’s knuckles, hoping it would keep the boy grounded.

He thought more about how he had come to see this boy, yesterday he was an attention-seeking arrogant prince, but after last night he saw more. He didn’t run into danger because he was being a hero, it was because he had little regard for his own life. He didn’t disrespect authority; he had never had an adult he could trust. He didn’t think he was better than others, he had been taught that he was a burden so he never asked for help. But he was never going to feel that again, Severus vowed. _Whether this boy accepts being adopted by me or not, I will keep him safe._

He was pulled from his musing by soft sniffles, “You really want me?” Harry asked, his eyes filled with longing.

“Yes, Harry. I would not have asked you if I did not want you.” He would repeat this as many times as he needed, he doubted the boy had ever heard them before. “You are very much wanted, child”

Once again, the boy threw himself into Severus’ arms, silent tears running down his cheeks. “Yes, I would like to be adopted… if you really want me,” the boy whispered. “I promise I’ll be good! I’ll clean up, and get good grades, and I won’t cause any trouble” Harry rambled on as if trying to prove he was worthy.

Severus tightened his hold on the boy, desperately trying to express as much affection as he could, a feat for a man who has never been considered affectionate.

“Harry, I know you will ‘be good’, though I doubt you will no longer cause trouble as trouble seems to follow you. You do not need to convince me, this is the easiest decision I have ever made.”

Severus moved his hand up onto the boy’s messy locks and began to pet them, trying and failing to smooth the untamable strands. This is how Poppy and Minerva found them moments later. Severus sensed their presence but was in no rush to let go of the boy in his arms.

“So, I believe you need to head to Diagon Alley?” Poppy interrupted after a moment. “You have too much to do today for me to allow you both to stay like this for much longer” she added with a smirk, obviously amused by Severus’ rare display of affection.

Blushing, Harry extracted himself from Severus’ arms and sat back on his bed. “Will you be coming with us?” He asked the two women.

“No, Harry,” Minerva replied. “A blood adoption cannot have witnesses aside from the goblins, is that alright dear?”

Harry nodded, keeping his eyes trained on his hands, his cheeks still red from the embarrassment of being caught hugging Snape.

Severus couldn’t help but think about how adorable the small child looked, he would never say that, obviously, but the blushing boy looked so sweet, you could almost forget the horrors the boy had faced.

“Before we go I will need to reapply the salves to your front and back and you will need to take a few potions. These should work faster as I made them last night.”

With that Severus extracted two jars and vials from his robe while Harry took his shirt off. “If you ladies wouldn’t mind waiting for us in Poppy’s office?” he quickly added, hoping to give the boy some privacy. Once the two women had left, Severus turned to see how the boy was healing. The markings on his body had already begun to fade, though the worst of the bruising was still a sickly yellow. Severus took great care to be gentle as he rubbed the balms into the abused skin, hoping that the boy would come to associate his touch with a feeling of comfort and safety. He had a feeling that touch had only ever meant pain to Harry; beatings and punishments were likely the only skin-to-skin contact the boy had experienced. He would work to change that, it would take time, possibly years, but he would be there for him.

When he was done applying the healing balms and giving Harry the pain potions as well as a mild bone-strengthen potion (of Severus’ invention) he helped the boy stand from his bed, finally taking notice of the clothes he was wearing. A shirt that was close to six sizes too big, jeans that were also too large held up by a tattered belt, and trainers that seemed to be falling apart.

“Harry, before we go, we will need to get some clothing from your trunk in the Gryffindor tower. Do you want to go up and get them or should I send a house-elf?” Severus asked.

The boy looked down at his feet once more, contemplating what Severus believed would be a simple question. _The boy thinks he is a burden, obviously, he doesn’t want someone else to retrieve his things for him but, he is also terrified to go back into the lion’s den,_ a small voice in the back of Severus’ head reminded him.

“I think it would be quicker to have my house-elf get you so clothing, is that agreeable?” Severus quickly added, hoping the child would be more comfortable not making the decision himself. He would need to be cautious about asking Harry to make his own choices, for a young boy who hasn’t had much say in life decisions could be daunting, but he also needed to become more comfortable with finding his voice.

Once again Severus summoned his house-elf, “Winnie, this is Harry, he will be becoming my…ward today, and so if he needs anything, he may at some point call on you. Right now, I need you to go to the Gryffindor tower and bring us a clean set outfit for him to wear to Diagon Alley. While we are away would you please make sure the guest room in my quarters is in acceptable condition?” He finished with his instructions for the little elf and turned to Harry.

“Harry, if there is anything you need you are free to call on Winnie, she is incredibly smart, trustworthy, and has been in my life for years. You will need to get used to her presence because she follows me like a shadow.” At this last bit, he and the little elf shared a small smile and laugh. Some may think it strange to be close with one house-elf but, having cut himself off from so many, he found that her company was always welcome.

“I is very happy to be meeting you, Little Master. Dobby be speaking so much of how kind yous is,” Winnie said. Moments later she disapparated with a crack

Moments later the little elf returned, looking frazzled. “Master Snape, these is being the best clothes the Little Master is having that is not his schooling robes.” The elf handed him a pair of jeans and a shirt, both far too big.

“Well, I guess we will add a bit of clothing shopping to today’s outing,” Severus said. “For now I think these should be thrown out. Winnie, please bring something of mine, I think it will be easier to shrink down my clothing than these” He turned to Harry once she left to retrieve those clothes. “I hope you don’t mind that I got rid of those… garments. Am I correct in assuming they were not originally bought for you? They don’t seem to be remotely close to your size.”

This made the boy laugh; a sound Severus was desperate to hear again once it faded. “No, I only ever got my cousin's hand-me-downs. Nothing really fit, it was like I was wearing elephant skin, but I never cared.” He quickly looked down again; this seemed his reflex when he thought he had done something wrong “I don’t want you to worry about that, though. I have enough clothing, so we don’t need to buy any.”

Holding back an exasperated sigh, Severus placed his finger under the boy's chin and lifted his head until their eyes met. “Harry, you deserve to have good things. You were given less than the bare minimum when it came to the essentials and I intend to fix that. After the bonding is done, we will first be getting you glasses that are made specifically for your eyes, no more excuses for messing up in potions because you will then be able to read the instructions” He added this last bit hoping for another laugh. Instead, he was met with a small, shy smile, which was good enough for now. “Then, we will go and get you some new clothes and shoes, as the trainers in front of me look like they also need to be put to rest.”

He knew how hard it was to accept the help you were offered when you spent your whole life relying on only yourself. Severus had been much the same when he was Harry’s age. It was simpler to trust no one. He was all too aware of how difficult it was for Harry as he wrestled with his desire to be cared for, versus his fear of being hurt by the people he trusted once more. He could see that all Harry wanted was to have someone take care of him, it was obvious in the moments when his walls tumbled down and he sunk into Severus’ embrace. But he had been taught that no one ever would care for him, protect him, love him, and he believed it.

Before either could continue with this conversation Winnie reappeared with a pile of Severus’ clothing. “I is bringing muggle clothing for the Little Master. I is also getting his underthings, they is needed to be bought new too” this caused Harry to blush, making Severus internally laugh at how innocent and childish he could still be after living through so much.

“Thank you, Winnie,” Severus said. He then handed the pile of clothing for Harry and instructed to change, once he was dressed Severus charmed the clothes to fit him better, noticing sadly how even his own clothing swallowed the boy. For now, there was nothing to be done about the shoes, but he would only be in them a little longer.

“Before we leave, do you have any questions about the Blood Adoption ritual? What it entails?” Severus asked, hoping to relieve any worries he may have about the ritual.

“What will I have to do?”

“It is actually quite simple. There will be some paperwork, and we will need to change some things in your vaults since you will be considered my ward. The ritual itself will require both of us to drink a potion with seven drops of blood in it. I will bring a numbing balm so it doesn’t hurt, but I will need to cut the palm of your hand and you will do the same to mine. We will both drink the potion, which tastes horrid I am told, and then say a few words, they will mostly be in Latin and spoken by me, often this ceremony is done with an infant. You will not feel any effects from the potion and ritual until you wake up the next morning.”

Harry looked at his professor with fear, “Will it be painful?”

Severus looked at the boy very seriously “Well, some of your physical features will change slightly too look more like me. It will only be a small amount as you will still have the DNA from Lily and James. So there could be excruciating pain, because… I’m sorry to tell you this Harry, but… you may get my nose”

And there is was, the sweet laugh he had heard before. But this time it was deep, a full belly laugh that brought tears to the boy's eyes as he giggled at his Professor’s self-deprecating joke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a WIP, I will be posting every Wednesday


	9. Galleons, Lords, and a Deathly Conversation

The two walked into Madam Pomfrey’s office towards the floo, ready to depart on their journey. Severus was feeling great about himself, better than he had in years; he was going to do something good, be someone good. Not some self-sacrificing, loathsome, martyr for the ‘Greater Good’, put a guardian to a boy in need, a confidant and protector.

Severus reached his left arm forward to grab some floo powder from the bowl beside the fireplace when his sleeve rolled up, exposing the darkening skull and snake that stained his skin.

_Does he know what I was?_ At first, Severus felt sure that he must, but if he didn’t then he would be basing this adoption on a lie, and Harry had been lied to by too many people.

“Harry, before we go I need to tell you something. I want you to make an informed decision before you are permanently stuck with me.”

Harry looked up at him, bewildered momentarily before nodding. Severus gestured to the two seats in Pomfrey’s office and they both sat.

“Do you know what a death eater is?”

“They work for Voldemort”

Severus flinched at the sound of his old master's name, a stinging heat coursing through his arm for just a moment.

“They do, now I have been working for Dumbledore for many years, but I was at one time a death eater, Harry. I promise you, I am not and have not been since before the time you were born. But, when I was at Hogwarts I was recruited to join the Death eaters, I was told that my skills in potions would be revered and I would have a respect and admiration for my peers, which is something I had never had. This was all a lie, I came to find that out quite quickly, but its a lifetime commitment, so I was stuck until I received help from Dumbledore.” Now, wasn't the time to bring up the fact that, though Dumbledore helped, he was now asked too much from Dumbledore and often taken advantage of for his past mistakes.

Harry sat in silence, looking at the ground as he took in this new information. Severus waited patiently, allowing the boy to digest each word, hoping it wouldn’t drive another person away.

“Why did you leave?”

“You and your mother. I knew your mother very well, we grew up together and were very close. When I heard the Dark Lord was planning to hurt your mother I went to Dumbledore and told him, I asked him to put your mother into hiding, to put all of you in hiding. At that moment I became Dumbledores double agent, a spy for the Light. Unfortunately, I did not know Pettigrew was also a double agent for the Dark Lord or I may have been able to keep you all safe.”

He hung his head in shame. He had thought like that in years, he spent his days looking forward, marching along until death relieved him of his duties. But today, looking at this sweet little boy with green eyes, Severus was confronted with all the sins of his past while looking into the face that could be his redemption.

“I understand if you have changed your mind about the adoption Harry, know that I will continue to be here for you and will make sure you never go back to the Dursley’s no matter what you choose. I needed you to know everything.”

Harry looked at him a moment looking, he seemed to be wrestling with something in his head for a while before standing and extending his hand to the professor. Severus reached forward and laced their fingers together, waiting to see what the boy was up to.

“It's ok, people make mistakes and you made up for them. We should hurry up, I don’t think goblins like to be kept waiting.”

Severus looked up into the forgiving eyes, feeling for the first time that he was worthy of that forgiveness.

* * *

Walking into Gringotts Bank with his Professors, Harry couldn’t help but reminisce about the first time he had walked through the immaculate halls. He had felt so small standing beside Hagrid, staring up at the little goblins perched in their raised desks. Walking beside Professor Snape made for a much different experience than walking next to Hagrid but, Harry felt just as tiny. It wasn’t that Professor Snape was tall, it was the way he held himself, it made him seem like the tallest, most fearsome person in a room, and now he was standing beside Harry, swearing to take him in and protect him.

_For now, soon he’ll realize he made a huge mistake helping a freak like you._

Harry knew in his heart that those words were true; his professor would be stuck with him and would learn to see him as a freak, a burden, a waste of space. He was holding onto the hope that Snape hadn’t lied, that the intelligent man beside him was being honest when he had apologized and when he offered to take him in. Snape hadn’t lied to his yet…but who knew how long it would be until that changed.

The truth of Severus’ past with Voldemort was not too shocking to Harry. He had known Severus had a darker past, it was kinda obvious from the demeanor and the way Malfoy spoke about him. He had been surprised about Snape’s friendship with his mom, one day he might ask for stories about his mother growing up, but the pain in Severus’ voice as he spoke about Lily kept Harry from asking his many questions.

He could look past his mistakes, he knew Snape had done so much to keep him safe from Voldemort already, no one who was working for that maniac would have done so much to help ‘The Boy Who Lived’. Maybe he was too quick to forgive, too easily trusting, but he would deal with that another day.

Harry continued to follow his Professors down the marble halls before they stopped at the last desk.

“May your enemies cower at your feet,” Snape said to the Goblin perched high in the desk, bowing his head slightly.

“And may your gold every flow,” the Goblin replied, bowing to Snape in turn. Harry was quite confused by the display, he hadn’t seen Hagrid do this when they had come to Gringotts, or maybe he hadn’t noticed, but it seemed important.

“Lord Prince, what can we do for you today?” the goblin, asked. But who was ‘Lord Prince’? Before Harry could ask Snape replied.

“We need a private audience with Ricbert, I understand that we have not scheduled a meeting in advanced, however, this matter has become quite urgent,” Snape spoke quietly then, whispering something to the goblin that must have been intriguing. The Goblins eyes grew wide and he stared at Harry, a hungry smile spread across the goblins face making Harry’s stomach turn.

“Of course, Lord Prince. Please come this way.” At that, a set of brass double doors appeared to Harry’s left, opening wide for the group of four to walk through. They followed the goblin to another set of double doors with the name Ricbert, Chief Bank Teller on a golden plaque.

Inside was a large office, multiple chairs stood before a large marble desk. Everything in the room was either brass, gold, or marble. Harry couldn’t help but laugh thinking _if everything is so fancy do they have a golden toilet?_ As he took his seat in one of the cozy-looking brass and leather chairs, he used this thought to distracted himself for the extreme change his life was about to go through.

“Harry,” Snape's voice was once again gentle as he brought the boy from his thoughts “It will be a while before Ricbert is with us, currently they are preparing contracts and necessities for the ceremony. But before we do this I want to make sure you are absolutely certain that you want to do this? The ceremony won’t work if you aren’t willing but even still, I wanted to check in with you”

Harry stared blankly at his Professor, shocked. Of course, he wanted this. Though he still did not know if he could fully trust the man, he knew one thing for certain; he wasn’t the Dursley’s. Snape was offering him an escape, a chance to have an actual life during the summers. He didn’t know what Snape’s ideas on punishment were, but if they didn’t involve a belt, Harry would be happy.

“I want this Sir, I really want to be adopted… by you,” he timidly added.

He had never seen the Potions Professor smiled, it was a small ghost of a smile but it was unmistakably there.

“As do I, Harry. Well, I do think there are some small things we should figure out before the Goblins come back. I called on Griphook, the goblin who looks after the Potter vaults and estates to join us.”

“What did you say to the Goblin upfront?” Harry asked. He hadn’t liked the way the goblin had looked at him in response.

“I told him that I intend to adopt a man who is the Heir of a one Great and Noble House, and possibly others. I don’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable, but from the goblins' perspective, it is best to see this as a transaction. I do not care what is in your vault and I have no intention of touching.”

“Okay.” Harry wasn’t sure he was an Heir of anything and had never given much thought to the gold in his vault. He knew he had a good amount left but that shouldn’t be enough to excite the notoriously wealthy-loving goblins.

“We should also discuss some things for after the ritual. It is common that a child will be given a new name once they are adopted; however, I wanted to check with you first. I assume you enjoy being ‘Harry Potter’ and would like to stay with your own name.”

Harry thought this over. For the number of times, he had hoped to be someone else he had really never given thought to the idea of a new name. Either way, he knew that changing his name wouldn’t stop him from being ‘The Boy Who Lived’. But maybe…

“I would like to be ‘Harry Potter’… but Sir…since you are adopting me…will I also become a ‘Snape’… or is it ‘Prince’?” He shyly stammered. He wanted to be a good ward to Snape, but maybe this was pushing it? Maybe Snape didn’t want to share his name with Harry? Maybe that was too permanent?

“You would be, and Harry I would be honored if you too my last name, however, I do not want you to feel you must. As for your question on if I am a ‘Snape’ or a ‘Prince’. My father, a muggle had the last name, Snape. However, my mother was from the Ancient and Noble house of Prince. As I am the last surviving person with blood to that title I am ‘Lord Prince’. One day, now that I will be adopting you, that title will be passed down to you. Today you will become ‘Heir Prince’. I will explain all that the titles entail later. So I believe if you were to take my name your title would be, ‘Harry James Potter-Snape, Heir Potter and Heir Prince’ as well as possible other Heirships you are entitled to.”

Harry’s mind was spinning when the Professor finished. Not only was he allowed to use the Professor’s last name, but he was going to be his heir? He had heard briefly about the Lordships and Heirships from classmates. He knew Malfoy wore an Heirship ring, he would constantly brag about it, and he had seen Neville’s a few times. However, he had no clue he was part of one of those Noble families. Why had no one told him?

Snape was looking at him with curious eyes, waiting for a response or reaction. Harry smiled at the man, realizing that he had probably zoned out in thought after Snape had finished speaking.

“Harry Potter-Snape sounds great,” he said with a sheepish grin

“I would also like for you to call me Severus when we are not in classes or with your peers. I want you to become more comfortable around me and I feel that if you only call me ‘Professor’ we will be unable to form a relationship outside of that of a teacher and a student.”

Again, Harry was speechless, Snape wanted to form a relationship. He wanted to get to know Harry.

Smiling, Harry nodded and said “Alright… Severus,” as if testing the name out to see how it felt coming out of his mouth. It felt weird, but he assumed it would take some getting used to.

Two Goblins came through the double doors at that moment, both carrying large stacks on papers. When the papers were safely deposited on the desk the two Goblins turned to Severus and Harry,

“May your gold ever flow, Lord Prince and Heir Potter,” Griphook said, bowing slightly, his black eyes locking with Harry’s. He had the same look in his eyes that the previous Goblin had.

“And may your enemies cower at your feet” Severus once again stated, bowing to the Goblins. Harry made a mental note to ask Severus what the phrasing was about, had he been being disrespectful?

“I have been told that you, Lord Prince, intend to have a Blood Adoption Ritual performed today. You also wish to check on Mister Potter Heirships and titles?” Ricbert sat behind his large desk and spoke with a sneer that could rival the man to Harry’s right.

“Yes, I am aware that he should have a Lordship for a Great and Noble House, which he will inherit on his seventeenth birthday. I also believe Lord Black has made him his Heir, though I am not sure. Either way, I will need to have him set as my Heir and begin a trust in his name. I believe it would be more prudent to do the banking and paperwork first and then the ritual”

Severus took his place in the seat next to Harry and went about signing documents. Though it was likely interesting the Goblins and Severus seemed to be speaking a language Harry didn’t understand. So he zoned out, daydreaming about Quidditch, and treacle tarts, and a summer without the Dursley’s

“Harry, did you know you have this many titles?” Severus asked, placing his hand on Harry’s arm. Harry was startled out of his musings by the sudden contact and could not process the question?

“What…? I didn’t know I had any titles until today. Why, do I have more than one?” He found that hard to believe as he had no family. Maybe Sirius had made him his Heir?

As a response, Snape handed him a piece of parchment from the stacks on the table

**LORDSHIPS AND TITLES OF HARRISON JAMES POTTER**

The Ancient and Noble House Potter - Heir (by Blood)

The Ancient and Noble House Black - Heir (by Appointment)

The Noble House Gaunt - Heir (by Conquest)

The Most Ancient and Noble House Peverell - Heir (by Blood)

The Most Ancient and Noble House Slytherin - Heir (by Conquest)

Harry, not understanding the weight of these titles immediately wondered if this would somehow hinder Snape from adopting him. Was there a rule about this stuff that Harry didn’t know?

“Sir… um, Severus, I didn’t know about these but, umm…” he looked down at his feet, trying not to worry too much and embarrass Snape in front of the Goblins. “You're still allowed to adopt me right?”

“Yes, Harry. I am still able to adopt you. These titles just mean you and I will have a lot more paperwork to sign today. When you are older these titles will come with responsibility, but for now, they just come with a bit of jewelry,” he said holding up his right hand to show his Lordship ring and smirking, obviously trying to lighten the mood and calm Harry down.

Harry let out a little laugh at Snape’s joke; it was so strange to hear the man say anything remotely funny. He let this settle him, knowing the Professor was making and effort just for me made Harry feel better than he had in years. He soaked up the attention like a sponge, hoping that when it all came crashing down, he could hang onto the memories to keep himself going.

“Due, to the vast amount of Lordships you are set to inherit I think it may be wise to go through some of Heir Potter's finances and properties. They will be under your care until he comes of age, Lord Prince.” The Chief Goblin said.

Ricbert places a single sheet of paper and handed it to Harry.

**FINANCIAL STATEMENT OF HARRISON JAMES POTTER**

Potter Trust Fund Balance - ʛ 3,199.23

Black Trust Fund Balance - ʛ 14,538.47

Gaunt Trust Fund Balance - ʛ 353.19

Peverell Trust Fund Balance - ʛ 64,791.34

Slytherin Trust Fund Balance - ʛ 13,639.10

_Am I rich?_ Harry couldn’t help but think. He had always known he made money, the vault he’d seen four years ago had been filled with gold, but he had four more vaults, and all of them had more galleons in them then he could even picture.

“I feel it will be best, to begin with, the Potter Trust Funds As is your main account until you are able to use the full extent of the Potter Vaults,” Ricbert said, in an emotionless voice, as if such large sums of money meant nothing.

“There’s another vault?” Harry could not fathom how that was possible. He had been told his whole life that he cost too much to care for, but here he was sitting on mountains of gold and he had never known.

“Yes.” The goblin said, annoyed at being interrupted. “As I was saying, Heir Potter, you currently have been using this account for school payments and a monthly payment to your muggle relatives, which we have been converting to Pounds”

The harsh sound of a chair scraping against marble made Harry jump. He turned to see Severus, his eyes made with rage standing from his seat.

“Those animals have been being paid from Harry’s vault while they neglected and abused him? Who authorized these payments and how much were they paid?” Snape spoke in a low, yet deadly voice, it would have been less frightening if he had screamed but instead his voice was cold, calculating, and controlled.

It frightened Harry, but strangely he also found it comforting. He knew somewhere deep down, that the man in front of him wasn’t angry at Harry, but rather, he was angry for Harry. Regardless of that, Harry still shrunk back into the leather chair, making himself as small and unnoticeable as possible.

Unfazed by Severus’ anger, the goblin picked a folder out of his desk and perused the contents before speaking.

“The sum of 200 galleons, roughly converted to 1000 pounds was transferred to the account of Vernon Dursley every month on the 1st since November 1st, 1981\. The payments were authorized by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore in accordance with his role as Executor and Magical Guardian to Heir Potter.” He closed the folder once more and placed it back on his desk.

Harry was at a loss for words. His whole life he had been told that he was a burden, that the Dursley’s couldn’t afford him and were forced to spend their ‘hard-earned money on a worthless freak’. Yet, they had been taking his money. They had been taking 1000 pounds a month from him for almost fourteen years. Harry did not care about the money, he had enough and it had never meant anything to him. But to know that the whole time, while they beat him and mocked him, the Dursley’s were profiting off of him.

He was livid and based on the tensed shoulders and scowling face next to him, so was Severus.

“Over 150,000 pounds have been taken from this, close to 33,700 gallons, without the Heir permission. I would like to retrieve the funds that have been taken without Harry’s consent. I assume you have a way to do this?” Severus retook his seat and slowly moved his hand over to the arm of Harry’s chair. He placed his hand palm up as if offering Harry the opportunity to take it. Determined to enjoy this newfound affection while it lasted, Harry moved his hand to sit atop the long-fingered hand of Severus Snape.

He hadn’t noticed until that moment that his hand had begun to shake, maybe Snape had and that was why he had offered to hold hands? Maybe he just wanted Harry to stop shaking and embarrassing him. Either way, Harry tried not to dwell on it too much.

“We will contact the muggle bank and start the process. I assume you also wish to spot payments?” The goblin looked overjoyed at the prospect of getting Harry’s money back into the bank.

“That sounds wonderful. I will leave the rest of the financial matters in your capable hands for today unless there is anything you believe needs to be sorted? I would like to move on to Harry receiving is Heir Rings as well as the Adoption Ritual.”

Harry watched as Ricbert walked from behind his desk and came to stand before Harry. When he was face to face with the young boy he summoned the first of the small boxes.

“This is the Potter Heir Ring. It will be placed on your right ring finger and we will see if it accepts you. After that, we will continue with your other Heir Rings from each house. I would suggest placing the Potter, Peverell, and Prince rings on your right hand. While the Gaunt, Slytherin, and Black rings should be on your left. The Magics from the separated families will do better this way.”

Harry nodded, not truly understanding what the Goblin meant, but trusting the advice he had received. He watched as the box in front of him opened to reveal a simple, thick banded brass ring. In elegant script was simply the word ‘Potter’ written inside the band.

Harry held out his hand, feeling silly, for Ricbert to place the ring on his finger. When the ring was nestled below his knuckle, it resized to fit his perfectly. Harry was then struck with a flood of warms as the Magic of the ring accepted him. He turned to look at Severus and smiled, feeling giddy at the closeness he felt with his family for the first time.

“The Potter Ring has accepted you as its Heir. Moving on,” he summoned the next box to them. “The Peverell Ring.” Opening the box Harry was meet with another brass ring, though this one had a peculiar design, that of a triangle with a circle in it and a line going through it. Once again the ring was placed on Harry’s finger it resized and merged with the Potter ring filling him with warmth. Though the warmth he felt was distinctly muted compared to the feeling of his family ring.

They continued with each ring, The Black ring, a black color ring with the engraving ‘Toujours Pur’ on top made Harry shiver. The Gaunt ring made Harry feel sick for a moment, but it still accepted him, though with obvious reluctance. Lastly the Slytherin Ring, which gave Harry a pleasant thrill, as if the ring was imbibed with mischief.

“And now, Lord Prince. I believe we are ready for the Blood Adoption” the goblin said, gesturing for the two to follow him through the door behind his desk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a WIP, I will be posting every Wednesday


	10. Puer meus, Nunc et Semper

Harry and Severus followed Ricbert into the small, candlelit room behind his office. Before them sat a small altar with a simmering cauldron set upon it. There were two large cushions before them with a small space separating them.

“Lord Prince, have you brought your own dagger?” the Goblin said, walking towards the cauldron and ladling out two goblets of the potion and placing them on the ground between each cushion.

Beside him, Severus withdrew a silver dagger from his robes. The hilt was beautiful, with a serpent engraved into it and two emeralds for eyes. “Of course.” He turned to Harry, displaying the blade and pointing particularly to the eyes. “I thought it would be fitting to use this, seeing as you are an emerald-eyed boy who can talk to snakes.” He smiled down, and Harry and the small boy felt a pressure in his heart. He was touched by the small, if not strange, gesture.

Severus knelt down on one of the cushions and motioned for Harry to follow suit. Once the two were facing each other on their knees, Severus extended his hand out to Harry. Harry reached out to the older man and felt a cool gel being spread across his palms, and then numbness washed over him from his wrist to the tips of his fingers.

Raising his dagger, he looked into Harry’s eyes and spoke. “I, Severus Tobias Snape, Lord of the Ancient and Noble house Prince, take Harrison James Potter to be my son. I vow to guide and protect, educate and discipline, care for, and comfort him as he grows, so mote it be.” He brought the dagger down and drew it across the flesh of Harry's palm, piercing the skin. He then held it over the goblet closest to his and dropped seven drops of Harry’s blood into the potion. “Puer meus, Nunc et Semper.”

When he was done, he raised his wand to clean and heal Harry’s bleeding hand and then thoroughly cleaned the dagger and handed it to Harry. Though he had no set words for the ritual, Harry spoke, only to Severus, in a low voice. “I vow to be good. I will always try to be the best I can be for you. Thank you for adopting me.” He then brought the dagger down, the same way Severus had and sliced his palm, holding it over his own goblet to drip seven drops of blood into the potion.

Severus then spoke in Latin for a while; Harry did not know exactly what he said, then raised his goblet to Harry. Together they drained their potions, both grimacing as their taste buds were assaulted by the taste of rotted fruit and gasoline.

Ricbert approached Harry once they had finished their potions, holding a small box in his hand.

“Now, the final Heir Ring.” Ricbert opened the box to reveal a black ring. Unlike the Heir ring for the Black family, this ring was in the shape of a crown. Harry once again held out his right hand to accept the Prince Ring, know that if the Ritual had worked, the ring would accept him. He worried for a moment how it would feel. Would it be reluctant like the Black ring, not genuinely wanting him but submitting because it had to?

All fears disappeared as the ring merged with that of the Potter and Peverell, and a sensation took over Harry’s body. Safe, that was the feeling that overflowed his senses and brought tears to his eyes. This ring, this family, would keep him safe.

He caught Severus’ eyes and smiled, knowing that the safety he felt had everything to do with the man with him.

Harry watched as Severus said his goodbyes to the Goblins and paid for the Ritual as well as their time. Then the two walked out of the bank together to enjoy their first day as father and son.

* * *

After Gringotts, Severus brought Harry to have his eye’s check and new glasses bought, over the summer he might be able to have corrective surgery, but he would need a week to heal, and Harry did not have the luxury of time. For now, he was fitted with black, square-framed glasses, very unlike the circular ones he once had. Severus wouldn’t admit it, but he was glad to see Harry in glasses that did not resemble James Potter. He looked good in the new lenses, the black contrasted with his striking green-eyes making him look quite handsome. Severus only hoped his DNA didn’t ruin that for the boy.

Following that, they visited Madam Malkin to him measured for new robes and shoes. Though Severus knew he might grow overnight as the Blood Adoption took effect, it seemed best to get him something now and have Winnie use magic to fix it later. He would order Harry some new muggle clothing later and have it delivered by owl. Then they could throw away the tattered mess he had been wearing.

After too much shopping, the two had stopped for supper at Leaky Cauldron. Severus took note of how excited Harry looked eating his Sheppard’s Pie and made a mental note that he would have to have it made more often, as it was clear this was the boy’s favorite food. After dinner, feeling the need to overindulge his newly adopted son, he suggested getting dessert before returning to the castle.

Sitting outside of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Severus looked over at the child … his son beside him as he ate his chocolate ice cream. Sporting new glasses; charmed to modify their prescription to suit Harry’s eyes, and a smile. The boy looked quite adorable, younger than fourteen, with a sweet childlike innocent joy. Severus secretly hoped he could keep that joy in his eyes, but he knew that wouldn’t be possible. Not with Harry being in the Tri-wizard Tournament, a competition he was sorely unprepared to undertake.

The boy’s life had already had too many struggles; he had dealt with more adversity than most adult wizards ever had. But all he could do was stand by the boy’s side and teach him, guide him, and protect him as he faced each challenge head-on.

Speaking of challenges, he would have to figure out what he was to do about Albus. The oaf had been paying the Dursley’s with Harry’s money but never bothered to check on the child? He knew the betrayal had devastated Harry; the boy had trusted Dumbledore so much. To know that he had been so careless about Harry’s safety had almost sent Severus into a blind rage, but he had been determined not to frighten Harry further.

“Harry, how are you feeling? A lot has happened today, and I know you must feel a little overwhelmed.”

Harry paused, holding a spoon of ice cream aloft as he contemplated the events of the day. He then set the spoon down in his bowl and gazed into Severus’ eyes. The emerald orbs were tainted with anger and sadness. When he spoke, it was as if he was in a daze, not truly in control as the words spilled from his mouth.

“He was paying them with my money but never checked on me. The whole time I lived with the Dursley’s, they would tell me that I cost too much money, that they used the money they would rather use on Dudley to keep me. When they thought I cost too much, they sometimes would take my light bulb from my cupboard.” He spoke in an emotionless monotone as if the things he said weren’t horrid. “There was a month when I wasn’t allowed to shower because I had ‘wasted all the water.’ I had taken a fifteen-minute show to get all the dirt off me from gardening; apparently, it was too long. I thought Dumbledore cared about me, but that was dumb. Of course, he didn’t, I’m just a stupid freak, why would he care.” His voice began to rise, and his breathing turned to pants. “Why didn’t he care? Why didn’t anyone care?”

He turned to Severus with pleading eyes, begging for an answer to a question Severus was ashamed to answer. He didn’t know; he had no excuses or explanations for why the boy was in that abusive household. So instead, he offered the boy that only thing he could, comfort. He slowly reached for the boy's hand and grasped it in his own, rubbing soothing circles into the knuckles. Without his permission, he began making ‘shhing’ noises to calm him as well. He continued like this until Harry’s breathing returned to an even pace.

“I don’t know, Harry. I know I was blinded by an idiotic grudge, but I am as appalled as you that your treatment went unchecked. All I can do is promise you this; you will never live like that again. You are now my son, Harry. I will never deny you food; from now on, you will have three meals a day and snacks whenever you would like… as long as they are healthy.” He added this, knowing that Harry had a particularly significant sweet tooth from watching him at feasts. “You will have a room of your own, filled with books, and a warm bed, and clothing that will fit you correctly. Tonight, the room in my quarters has been made up simply for you, but we will decorate it to your liking, we can change anything about so it does not feel like a guest room, but your bedroom.”

Severus could have gone on for hours about the many things he planned to do for the sweet child in front of him; they would travel, and he would teach him potions, they would go on vacations that were educational and fun. Harry wasn’t the spoiled prince Severus had once believed, but now he couldn’t wait to spoil his son. His son, who looked like at any moment he might fall asleep in his ice cream bowl.

“Speaking of, I believe it might be time to return to Hogwarts. I am quite exhausted.” He decided to put the blame on himself as to not make the boy self-conscience.

After paying, the two men returned to the Leaky Cauldron to Floo back to Severus’ quarters, anxious for their first night as father and son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> according to Google Translate "Puer meus, Nunc et Semper" means "My child, now and always"
> 
> This is a WIP, I post every Wednesday!


	11. Like a Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my lovelies!!!! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! I have been sick in bed most of this week so this will be the highlight of my week, I hope it can be a bright spot for you too!

Snape’s room was nothing like Harry had expected. One day when he and Ron were bored, they had thought up what Snape’s living room was. They had imagined skull and crossbones, dark black furniture that was uncomfy and uninviting. A freezing cold room with no life in it. A dungeon.

Instead, Harry entered the opposite. The room was warm and inviting — a plush burgundy carpet in front of a large, rich, brown leather couch. Beside the sofa, on each side, sat armchairs of the same leather with a small ottoman in front of each. Harry imagined this was where Snape sat and did his grading at the end of the night. There was a cherry coffee table with a stack of books in the center of the carpet. It looked homey, and Harry could see himself comfortably doing homework on the couch or on the floor leaning on the coffee table.

Off to the left of the living space was a small dining area, a table with six seats, and a small vase of flowers. Severus walked past the table and opened the door to beckon Harry inside. They then stood together in a rather large kitchen. The floors were the same stone as the other rooms; the countertops were made of dark marble and connected to a breakfast bar.

“This is the kitchen. Though you and I take our meals in the Great Hall, I would like for you to eat when you are hungry, so feel free to come and grab a snack if you are in need of one. You, of course, can also call Winnie if you are need of something, but I would caution you to not do that in public or around too many people.”

Harry looked around at the space; he had always loved cooking, even though it was a chore. He had only disliked that he never got to taste his creations and that the Dursley’s never said anything nice about the food he made; maybe Snape would be different?

“Am I allowed to cook in here?” He asked tentatively. He noticed a small frown on Snape’s face as he asked. He hoped he hadn’t overstepped, Harry had thought doing something for Severus would be okay.

“You do not have to cook anymore.” Harry looked down at his shoes; think that he shouldn’t have asked. “Harry, do you enjoy cooking?” Harry refused to look up but nodded his head all the same. “If it is an activity you enjoy, then, of course, you may. However, make sure I am in our rooms if you are using the stove or oven.”

Harry looked up to see that Snape had already left the kitchen and was making his way back to the living area.

“Harry, this room is going to be your bedroom,” He gestured to the door to the right of the living room. “You will, of course, be staying mostly in your dorm, but you are welcome to stay here whenever you please” He then gestured to the door beside his bedroom. “This is my bedroom, if you need me at any point, for any reason I want you to come and get me. You will not be bothering me or burdening me, so please don’t worry about that. I will always want to help you.”

Harry couldn’t help the blush that came to his cheeks at Snape… his adopted father's words. The man in front of him really wanted him, _for now._

Severus then opened Harry’s bedroom. It had plain cream-colored walls dark stone floors, the same floors that covered the entire castle. It was huge, or in Harry’s mind, it was. Pressed against one wall was a queen-sized bed covered in mint green linens and piled high with pillows. On each side of the bed were small end tables reach containing a candle.

On the one wall was a large enchanted window, spelled to show the outside of the castle. Currently, Harry was gifted with the view of the quidditch pitch, lit but the moon and stars. Beside the mirror sat a simple cherry desk and a chair of the same leather as the chair and sofa in the living room.

Harry was floored, he had never seen somewhere so lovely, and he couldn’t believe Snape was allowing him to stay in such a beautiful room. Being in this place felt like a dream; he just wished he would never have to wake up. He felt like it was too much, like he did not deserve to be somewhere so warm and inviting.

But Snape did not seem perturbed in the slightest. He continued his tour of the room as though it meant nothing. As though this wasn’t the most beautiful place Harry would ever stay the night.

“This door leads to your bathroom. Winnie as supplied it with fresh towels and toiletries, but if anything is missing, call her, and she will bring you anything you need.” He opened the door to reveal an immaculate bathroom. A large mirror dominated the wall behind a large double sink. Across from the sink was a bathtub or rather a small swimming pool. The tub was massive and deep, likely it could fit three to five people in it comfortably. Across from the toilet was a large walk-in shower; on the shelf was a row of Harry’s shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.

“Even when you return to your dorms, I have a feeling you will prefer coming here. I loathed the shared showers in Slytherin when I was a student, so take advantage of this,” the professor said with a smirk. “Remember two things; one, I will never comment on how much water you use or stop you from washing yourself. As you are a fourteen-year-old boy, I will most likely encourage the latter as too many of your peers seem not to understand the need for soap.” Harry couldn’t help but snicker a bit at this, knowing that a lot of the Gryffindor boys usual smelled and didn’t notice. “And two, even if you are still struggling with your Aunt and Uncles comments about wasting water and money, remember we live in a magic castle. No money or water is being wasted,” he finished, turning to exit the bathroom and continue his tour.

“That door leads to a closet; your new robes will be there as well as some pajamas. After tomorrow we will add some muggle clothing. I did not wish to purchase anything until we saw what effect the Adoption had on your height and size.”

Harry stood, given speechless by the man's kindness. This was, apparently, his life, for now, and he was incredibly grateful. He had been given more from Snape in one day than his Aunt and Uncle had given him in a lifetime. But he couldn’t help feeling suspicions, as if at any moment the kindness would go away and he would be back in a cupboard with no food.

“I will leave you to rest. I don’t want to give you Dreamless Sleep tonight, as it is highly addictive. However, if you are having trouble sleeping, come find me.” With that, he crossed the room to Harry’s and slowly raised his hand to rest on the top of Harry’s head. They stood side by side as Snape ran his fingers softly through Harry’s hair. After a while, he stopped and laid his hand on Harry’s cheek, turning his head to look him in the eye.

“If there is anything you need, I am in the room right next to you. Goodnight Harry”

“Goodnight… Severus.” Harry was still confused about how to address the man who had adopted him, but Severus was right for now.

He quickly moved to the closet and found sweatpants and a baggy (but not as loose as his cousins) tee-shirt. Throwing his clothing into the hamper in the bathroom, he changed and crawled into bed. The mattress felt like a cloud, and the sheets were softer than anything he had felt before. It wasn’t long before his lids became heavy, and he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_A hand wrapped around his throat, dragging him out of the warm bed. He didn’t have time to grab shoes, and when his feet hit the icy floor, he winced. He was pulled by the throat against the person who had awoken him, hot breath, stinking of whiskey, hitting his neck._

_“You really thought he wanted you, Boy? You thought someone would want a freak like you?” His Uncle asked, throwing him to the floor._

_Harry couldn’t move; he knew that struggling only made it worse. So he accepted his fate as he heard his Uncles belt being unbuckled. He braced himself for the first strike, turning his head to protect it with his hands when he saw Snape._

_Sitting in the comfy leather chair, the potions master began to laugh as blow after blow rained down on Harry’s back._

_“Stop, please! I’ll be good, I promise! Please, Severus,” he cried, begging the Potions Master to return to the man that had adopted him._

_“Shut up, Potter. Freaks like you deserve to be punished” Snape sneered, laughing again as Uncle Vernon brought his belt down again._

* * *

Severus sat up in bed; it was nearly two o’clock in the morning, and yet something had awoken him. He had momentarily forgotten the day's event until he heard the screams.

He rose to the aid of his son, wondering what monster had gotten passed his wards to harm the boy. However, when he pulled back the door, he saw that there was no monster in the room, only the ones in Harry’s past, still assaulting his mind.

Harry was curled up on top of himself, the sheets twisting around his small form as he struggled to get away from the violence he was experiencing in his dreams. His hands were balled up fist covering his face, but Severus could still see tears running down his face.

“Please, I’ll be good. I promise! Please, stop! I didn’t do anything! You said you’d take care of me! Why are you doing this!” he whimpered as the dream continued to haunt him.

His heart broke for the boy. He walked quickly to the side on the bed and sat down, running his hands over his back.

“Harry, wake up. It’s ok. Nobody will hurt you. Wake up, Harry.” He spoke loudly, hoping to pull the boy from his sleep. “Please wake up, Harry.”

It took a few minutes, but finally, the boy's eyes opened. His eyes were red and puffy, filled with despair. He pulled back from the potions master, cowering back into the pillows behind him, shaking uncontrollably.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I woke you up, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to! Please don’t send me back! I promise I’ll be good. I won’t wake you up again.” Harry choked out the words between sobs.

Severus could not help himself; he reached out and pulled the trembling boy into his arm, positioning himself to be seated in the pillows with Harry’s head nestled on his chest.

“Hush little one, you had a nightmare. It’s okay that you woke me up. I am glad you did.” Harry burrowed further into Snape’s chest, his sobs still shaking his little body. “Hush child, I told you I want to help you and be here for you. I’m right here, little one. I’m not going anywhere, and you are never going back. You’re stuck with me.” He continued to speak like this, running his hands through the messy mop of black hair, not noticing that it had begun to get longer overnight.

“Would you like to tell me about the dream?” Severus asked, once Harry’s breathing had returned to normal. The boy shook his head, refusing to look up into Snape’s eyes.

“Alright, would you like to speak about something else? Or maybe have some food or water?”

“No, thank you. I’m sleepy, but I’m afraid to go to sleep.” He said, the statement punctuated by a yawn. Severus knew panic attacks and nightmares could take a lot of energy out of you, having suffered many himself. So he moved to sit on the chair beside the boy's bed, but Harry’s arms tightened around him.

“Please, don’t go.” The words were whispered into his chest, and how could he refuse.

He arranged himself and Harry so the boy could keep his head piled on the older man’s chest. He then straightened the covers around Harry and summonsed a quilt from the living room for himself and then settled in for the night, thinking how he would not trade the way he felt with his son in his arms for all the rare potions ingredients in the world.

He continued to run his hands through the messy mop of hair until the child fell asleep. And if Severus pressed a small kiss onto the top of his head, no one was there to see.


	12. Small Changes and Big Conversations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my loves! Happy Chanukah! I decided I wanted to gift you all with an extra chapter for the first night of Chanukah (I'll still be posting Wednesday for Christmas too!). Along with this gift, I am recommending 8 of my favorite fics on the platform, hopefully, you will have something nice to read by the candlelight! I was inspired by these stories, I would love to get some recommendations from you guys about fics you love!
> 
> I decided with these fics I would choose some that aren’t based on romance,( I’ll save those for Valentine's day) though some of the stories have romantic or sexual themes/chapters. You have been warned!  

> 
> [ The Sunguard Series by lyraonyx (HP/SS) ](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1530506)  
[ Evitative by Vichan (HP/DM) ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20049589/chapters/47480461)  
[ Don't Trust Dumbledore by nobodyzhuman (HP/DM) ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14515683/chapters/33536904)  
[ Wishes Do Come True by Otaku6337 (HP&SS) ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20506673/chapters/48666065)  
[ The Benevolent Overlord Series by OhHamilton (HP/SS) ](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1470167)  
[ Raising Harry Series by Isscha (HP&SS) ](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1239062)  
[ Prince Series by Sablesilverrain (HP&SS) ](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1348150)  
[ Like Father, Like Son series by aheadfullofwrackspurts (HP&SS)](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1239761)

When Severus woke up the next morning, it was to the sight of Harry, trying to sneak out of bed. The boy carefully extracted himself from the Professor's arms, obviously hoping not to wake him. But, between the years of spying and his less than stellar childhood, Severus was quite a light sleeper.

“Good morning, Mr. Potter.” Severus couldn’t help but smirk at the blush that crept into his young ward’s cheeks at being caught.

He took in the new appearance of the boy in front of him. He still looked like himself, just with small influences from Snape. His hair had darkened slightly and grown out, the unruly curls straightening to waves, making it less messy than the mop that usually sat atop his head. His cheekbones were higher, and his face elongated. Luckily for the boy, though his nose did grow, it did not resemble the beak Severus had adorned his whole life. Severus was pleased to see that he had kept Lily’s green eyes. 

As Harry scurried out of bed to stand, Severus also took note that he had grown. He still on the shorter side, but about four inches had been added to his tiny stature. Severus thought he looked quite good, but he still worried that the boy might be sad to lose some of his father’s attributes. He knew Harry had spent the last few years at Hogwarts being told how much he looked like James, now however he looked like a mix of three parents.

“I think you should go take a look at yourself, Harry. I hope you won’t be too disappointed with the changes the Adoption has given you.”

Harry looked at Severus curiously. Then quickly, as if suddenly remember the effect the Adoption would have on him, ran to the bathroom.

While Harry inspected his new body, Severus summoned some of his clothing and transfigured it fit the boy. He assumed he wouldn’t want to spend his Sunday in robes, and they would need to speak with Dumbledore today, he should be comfortable.

He summoned a pair of jeans and his one-and-only tee shirt, a plain black shirt he rarely wore. He called to Harry through the door, informing him that there were clean clothes on the bed for him and that Severus would be in the living room with breakfast.

Snape reclined into his chair and spelled the fireplace to a roaring blaze; he basked in the comfortable warms as he lounged peacefully, if only for a moment.

“Winnie,” he called. The little elf appeared immediately with a French press of coffee and a large mug, as she did every morning.

“Thank you. I would like you to bring breakfast for myself and Harry. I believe full English would be acceptable as well as a bowl of fruit. Also, a glass of Pumpkin juice, as that seems to be Harry’s drink of choice, I believe we should keep that in the kitchen for him from now on.” Severus realized at that moment he would need to do some research into feeding an underweight, malnourished child. For the moment, though not the healthiest option, the breakfast he had chosen would suffice.

Once the elf had popped away, Severus became lost in his thoughts once more. Adopting Harry had been impulsive, something Severus was proud to say, he was not. But he had yet to give thought to many things. How would he explain this to the people in his life? He was Draco’s Godfather; would Lucius still allow him to have a relationship with the boy? Would Harry and Draco end up killing each other if he was? What would he do about Harry’s potions grades; surely, he was not allowed to grade his own son? Of course, there was also the tournament; was he able to help his underage son?

The questions continued moving through his head until Harry emerged from his bedroom, dressed comfortably and smiling. This broke Severus from his musings, unable to focus on much else but the shy boy walking towards him.

“I assume you aren’t too disappointed?” he chided playfully, smirking at the boy as he took a seat on the couch. He sat on the edge, back straight and shoulders held back, as though he was afraid he wasn’t allowed on the furniture. _Well, maybe he wasn’t when he was living with monsters!_

“I’m taller!” he said with a smile. “I’ve always been short, and people would make fun of me for it. I’m still shorter than Ron but no by too much now.” His smile fell at the mention of the youngest Weasley boy. Damn that ginger.

Winnie took that moment to come back with two hot breakfasts. Harry eyed his plate and then turned to stare at Severus questioningly. Understanding that Harry was waiting for permission, he reached in his pocket to retrieve a nutrient potion and handed it to him.

“Dig in; I didn’t know what you would like, so I went with full English. If it isn’t to your liking, Winnie will gladly get you anything you’d like.” Severus knew he would be repeating these same words for a long time. Needing to drill into Harry’s mind that he could ask questions or for things he needed without punishment. Severus knew the damage done by his relatives was not going to be resolved overnight after a few sign pieces of paper and a potion. I would take months; years of positive reinforcement, building trust and communication. But, he would do it. Severus had never been mistaken for a patient man, but he could learn to be for this boy.

Harry nodded, drank his potion, and dug into his meal. Severus was thankful that his recipe for this particular potion had an appetite stimulant and an anti-nausea serum; it would make it easier to get the boy's weight up.

They ate in silence, and Severus added more things to his to-do list in no particular order. One, get Harry a Mind-Healer. Two, Tell Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco. Three, Set up private lessons for Harry with him to prepare for the Tournament. Four, Buy Harry more clothing and have them delivered to Hogwarts. Five, Get his room set up. Six, throttle the brats in the Gryffindor tower (possibly just Weasley?). Seven, Throttle Dumbledore for being a fool and a terrible guardian. Eight, murder the Dursleys.

He smiled to himself at the last one. No, he couldn’t actually murder them; death would be far too kind. But he was looking forward to catching up with Petunia. He hadn’t seen her in so long, and he was excited to speak with her again; it would be a long chat.

Severus continued eating while thinking up ingredients for a truly remarkable potion. He wondered how Petunia and her husband would feel if they could experience everything they had done to their nephew. The clattering of silverware on porcelain brought him for his musing, and he looked up to see Harry had finished everything and was staring around the living room with the dishes in his hands.

“Where is the sink so I can wash these?” He asked. _He thinks it his job to clean everyone's dishes like a house-elf_ — another thing he would need to work on.

“Leave them on the table for Winnie, you and I have an appointment with Dumbledore. I think he will be wondering how yesterday went.” _And I think I would like to scratch something off my to-do list._

* * *

“You damn fool! You were paying them, with the boy's own money, and yet you couldn’t bother a trip to Surrey to check on him? I have never known someone to be so ignorant, and I have been teaching here for almost fifteen years! How, in the name of Merlin, did you think any of this was okay?”

Harry watched as the vein in Severus’ neck pulsed as he yelled at the Headmaster, pacing through the office. He was usually nervous when he heard anyone yelling, but in this case, he was glad for it. He sat beside Snape, letting his new guardian yell for him.

Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey stood to the side of the office watching the exchange. They had been just as livid with the Headmaster upon hearing what had been discovered at Gringotts and seemed to be enjoying the show as Snape threw insults at the elderly wizard.

“Severus, I was only giving what was previously allotted for child support. It is customary in the muggle world and had been set aside for that reason.” Dumbledore spoke calmly, which only seemed to infuriate Snape further. Harry, as well, was reaching his tipping point. He could feel his magic bubbling up inside of him with his rage, an unwelcome but familiar feeling. He had become good at controlling his magic when he was emotional at the Dursley’s. But, it was easier to save your energy when you had so little to begin with. Now, fully rested and feed, Harry had energy in reserve.

“And still, you gave it without question or care. You have allowed this boy to grow up in abject hell because you were too careless! I told you! I knew what Petunia was, and yet you lied to me! You said she was happy to take her Nephew. That he was spoiled, treated like a prince; loved. Did you even speak to the woman?” Snape was pacing back and forth as he berated the man. “His medical report says he had Hypothermia when he was two, and it blamed you. Did you just leave him outside to be found?”

Dumbledore was silent, confirming this. _You were dumped on a doorstep in the cold by a man you thought loved you. He didn’t care. He didn’t give two shits about you. Why? Because you’re just a worthless little freak._

Harry did not realize it, but at the moment, the trinkets lining the walls began to shake. His Aunt and Uncle had always said that he had been “left at their door, giving them no choice,” but he had never assumed this, he had thought it was an exaggeration. He had indeed been left on their front stoop, like a morning newspaper. _You’re worth less than a paper. People want their news; nobody wants a freak._

“You don’t even deny it! The boy... no, sorry I’d like to clarify. The infant who had just saved the Wizarding World from the Dark Lord and lost both his parents was left outside, overnight, in November! Have you ever heard of a doorbell? Or knocking? Or, I don’t know, maybe WAITING UNTIL IT’S FUCKING MORNING SO A BABY WON’T BE LEFT OUTSIDE OVERNIGHT!?”

The Headmaster turned from Severus to come to stand before Harry’s chair. Harry instinctively scooted backward, pressing himself further into the cushioning. He no longer trusted the wise old man, the same man he had once thought of as a Grandfather.

“Harry, my boy. You must understand that I only want to protect you. I believed that the Blood Wards erected from your mother's love would keep you safe. I also was assuming your Aunt would love you and care for you as her own son. I am sure you understand that and can forgive my mistakes.” The elderly man said in a gentle yet condescending voice. As he spoke, the objects in the room continued to shake, but Dumbledore took no notice. However, Harry saw out of the corner of his eye, Snape casting a subtle shield charm around himself and Harry.

Harry felt his heartbreak and rage consume him, his skin tingling as he lost control of his magic. He felt more worthless than he had before, and all because of someone he had trusted so much. Dumbledore assuming Harry’s forgiveness was the final straw. He had been willing to forgive him when they had arrived, but having his trusting nature used against him set him over the edge.

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?” He screamed, standing from his seat as multiple glass jars exploding as his magic burst from him. “I have been living in hell for fourteen years, and you assume it okay, that I’m just gonna forgive you? Why didn’t you bother to find me or check on me? Why didn’t you listen when I asked to stay at Hogwarts after First Year? I told you I wasn’t happy at the Dursley’s! I told you they hated me!” He sank back into his chair, wiping away tears he hadn’t known he had shed. As quickly as the rage had come, it fell away. Leaving only heartbreak and despair in its wake.

“But, you didn’t care, you obviously never cared. Why didn’t you care? Why wasn’t I good enough? Why didn’t you help me?” Questions kept coming; each time his voice become more shaky and quiet, he stopped asking Dumbledore but instead was asking the universe at large_. And why should he have cared? All you are is a freak with a famous scar. That ugly scar on your head is the only reason anyone tolerates you._

Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into obsidian eyes. “Harry, I need you to breathe and calm yourself for me. In threw your nose… and out through your mouth… good and again… in… and out….” The continued like this as they had before, a simple routine already established to calm Harry through the worst. “Good job Harry, I know that was difficult, but I am very proud of you for composing yourself. However, though I understand and agree with your sentiments, you, as a fourteen-year-old student, cannot use that language with your Headmaster and in the presence of three teachers. As punishment, I believe twenty-five points from Gryffindor would be acceptable.”

Harry felt like he was probably getting off easy, either because Snape really agreed with everything he said but felt he needed to do something in front of the teachers or because he wanted things to go smoothly since the adoption. Either way, Harry felt outstanding after yelling at Dumbledore, so it was worth it.

Harry looked up to apologize to Severus and noticed that his face was scrunched up, a confused look in his eyes.

“Twenty-five points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter,” He repeated, slightly louder. Harry didn’t understand why he felt the need to do this twice. He saw that the other Professor’s had a similar confused look on their faces, as though something had gone amiss.

“Well, It looks like we may have another problem to sort out Harry,” Severus said, pinching the bridge of his nose, as though he had a headache. “The castle isn’t allowing me to take points from Gryffindor. Albus, I think we may need to have a chat with the Sorting Hat.”


	13. A Talk with a Hat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas!!!!!!!

Severus held Harry in his arms while the boy's anger subsided. He contemplated his next move, his first time disciplining Harry as a <strike>father</strike> guardian. He agreed with everything the child had said, but he couldn’t allow a fourteen-year-old boy to shout obscenities at his Headmaster. _Well than Severus, you will need to watch your mouth in front of Harry,_ he thought, remember that he had also been swearing at Albus.

“Harry, I need you to breathe and calm yourself for me. In threw your nose… and out through your mouth… good and again… in… and out….” Severus placed his hand on the boy’s cheek and tilted his head up so they could look at each other, He had found this technique had worked for him in the past and was hopeful it would continue to calm him.

When he noticed Harry’s breathing had returned to normal, he began to speak to him, knowing this was his first time disciplining the child as his parental figure. “Good job Harry, I know that was difficult, but I am very proud of you for composing yourself.” He started with praise, hoping to dampen the blow any form of punishment might have. “Though I understand and agree with your sentiments, you, as a fourteen-year-old student, cannot use that language with your Headmaster and in the presence of three teachers. As punishment, I believe twenty-five points from Gryffindor would be acceptable.”

He paused, waiting for the tell-tale shimmer he would feel as Hogwarts accepted his point deduction. At times, when he was in a particularly foul mood, Hogwarts would reject the points he had taken away. Once, he had tried taking points from Charlie Weasley for his hair being “too loud,” but it didn’t work. However, deducting points for swearing was always acceptable. Was there something wrong?

“Twenty-five points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter,” He repeated, slightly louder. Once again, he was met with silence and confusion.

“Well, It looks like we may have another problem to sort out Harry,” Severus said, pinching the bridge of his nose. It seemed like complications just followed Potter wherever he went. _Get used to it, Severus, he’s your son now._ “The castle isn’t allowing me to take points from Gryffindor. Albus, I think we may need to have a chat with the Sorting Hat.”

Without further question, Albus moved to the shelf behind his desk and retrieved the Sorting Hat. He then placed it on his desk, facing the group.

“Well, would you please explain why I cannot take points from my son’s house?” Severus asked, feeling strange speaking to a hat.

“Well, as the boy is now your son, he can no longer be a Gryffindor. Any child of a Head of House is automatically placed in the house of their parent. I knew he would do well in Slytherin, and now he will finally be in the house I wanted for him. Funny how fate works, isn't it Mr.Potter-Snape?”

Severus turned to look at Harry, The Boy Who Could Not Catch a Damn Break, to gauge his reaction. He was expecting anger, fear, more swearing, but nothing would have prepared him for the boy’s response.

Uncontrollable laughter erupted from the small child. Severus watched in shock as Harry doubled-over, grasping is stomach while laughter as if his change in house was the most hilarious thing he had heard in years.

“I guess I shouldn’t have fought you so hard on my house First Year.” He chocked out between breaths as he tried to regain his composure. “I just ended up a Slytherin anyways.”

_The hat wanted him in Slytherin?_ Severus thought to himself. It was not so shocking in truth; many students who had troubled home-lives would end up in his house. But, with James and Lily as his parents, it was strange that he would be considered for anywhere else.

Snape came face to face with Harry. “How do you feel about this change in House, Harry?” Severus was nervous about Harry joining his snakes. He would need to have a long talk with them, especially Draco. He knew it would be difficult for his Godson to accept Harry as Severus’ son, but at minimum, he would need the boy to accept Harry as a Slytherin.

“It can’t be too bad. Sure, I don’t like being stuck with Malfoy, but I don’t really know the other Slytherins that well. I’m not wanted in Gryffindor, so this makes sense.” Harry looked down again, concealing a look of disappointment. The Weasley brat had made him feel as though the whole house had turned from him, and though Severus had no liking for the lions, he knew they were more loyal than that.

“Also, I’d be in your house, so it’d be okay,” he added sheepishly. It continued to astound Severus how quickly the boy had come to trust him. He would need to continue to earn this trust, showing that his past actions are no longer who he is or how he feels. He could see that the damage of his past actions had begun to heal; the mental scars he received at the hands of his relatives would not heal so quickly.

“Harry, that is not true,” Minerva spoke up for the first time, though she kept back, giving Severus and Harry space. “Mr. Longbottom is the reason we found you. He was incredibly worried about your safety. He and Miss Granger spent yesterday coming to my office every hour, demanding to know where you were. On occasion, the Weasley twins would join them in coming to ask for you. As I understand it, when they were not coming to my office, they were…” She paused, seeming to choose her words carefully. “They were... having a discussion with their brother.”

Severus could only imagine what that meant. The twins were brilliant, though he would never admit it. Where the ‘marauders’ pranks were juvenile, the twins made started developing potions and spells themselves, though still childish, the power of their combined magic was quite sophisticated. Severus almost felt pity for the youngest Weasley boy; the twins likely showed him no mercy.

Harry gave a small smile, and relief spread across his face knowing that he still had friends in Gryffindor.

“I am sure they will be happy to see you later today,” Severus said, once again, carding a hand through Harry’s black tresses. “However, with this news, I think it might be best if I called my fourth-year snakes to my office. Albus, we are not done speaking about this.” He helped Harry from his chair and made his way towards the door.

“Severus, aren’t you forgetting something?” Snape turned to look at Minerva, seeing a smirk on her face. “Were you not going to take points from Harry for his swearing?” The old witch grinned like a wolf, knowing the Potions Master loathed taking points from his own house.

“Minerva, hasn’t the boy been through enough” He replied dramatically, leaving the smirking woman behind him, he went with Harry, making his way to the dungeons to meet with his snakes.


	14. Will I Be Safe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Years!!!

Pacing in the Potion Master’s office, Harry contemplated the meeting he was about to have. He was a Slytherin now. According to the Hat, it was where he always should have been, but he couldn’t help but worry that he would once again be the outcast.

At minimum, he’d be close to <strike>Snapes</strike>… Severus’ Quarters and could stay in the <strike>guest</strike>… his room if they kicked him out of the dorms. He wouldn’t have to sleep in a closet again. _But that is where good little Freaks are supposed to sleep._

He shook that thought from his head and continued to pace. Severus had promised to take care of him. He wouldn’t have adopted him and shown him such a nice room just to take it away, would he?

Harry remembered the many meals he had cooked from Aunt Petunia, being promised that, if he was a good boy, he could have dinner with the family. He would try so hard, but he was never a ‘good boy,’ so he never got to join dinner. The food would be wafted in his face, and he would watch them eat, waiting patiently for his relatives to finish eating so he could clean.

Would this be like that?

“Harry, are you still with me, child?” A hand guided him to a chair, and Harry looked up into black, concerned eyes. “You are nervous about becoming a Slytherin?”

Snape did not bother to pose this as a question; it was quite obvious. Harry had been honest in Dumbledore’s office; he did not have a problem being a Slytherin. Unlike Ron and many other Gryffindors, he did not think the house was evil, but he was worried. He knew Malfoy’s parents were Deatheaters, and there were probably many other kids in Slytherin with parents who supported Voldemort. Would he be safe, or would he wake up with a wand at his throat?

“I’ll be okay, right?” he asked timidly. “I know that Slytherins aren’t evil or dark, but I also know that some of them support Voldemort… will I be okay?”

Severus was silent for a while, what felt like an eternity to Harry, before finally answering.

“You will be perfectly safe, I will see to that. I will not lie to you; some of the student’s parents are supporters or sympathizers to the Dark Lord. But, I will ask you to remember, at this moment they are children, they are not Deatheaters even if their parents are. I know certain members of my house have been vocal when speaking of their family allegiances. Still, most of those children do not understand what those allegiances are, nor do I think they genuinely believe in them. They hear what their parents have told them and feel important and better than others because they are considered ‘pureblood.’ I have found that most students of mine fall out of those behaviors after graduating and coming to the harsh realization that their blood means very little to the larger Wizarding population.”

Harry took in these words. He remembered how Dudley would just repeat whatever his father said, even when he didn’t know what it meant. There was a whole summer when Dudley called everything and everyone a ‘Poofter’ because Uncle Vernon had called a waiter at a restaurant that. It was not till later that Harry understood what that word meant, and it likely took Dudley much longer. He never wanted to be called that, he was already too much of a freak, _freaky little poof!_

Shaking off that thought, Harry focused on his conversation. “So maybe kids like Malfoy were also just copying their dads? That doesn’t make it better; he's still a git to Muggleborns.”

“Language Harry,” Severus said with a disapproving stare. “However, you are right, it doesn’t. The things said by some people in my house are disgusting. But, if you don’t mind me making a parallel with your own life, you have been called terrible things by your relatives your entire life, and because of this, you have come to believe these falsehoods. My godson has been told his whole life that he is better than everyone else and that using the word ‘mudblood’ is acceptable. I will never excuse those actions, but I can provide an explanation as to why some students behave the way they do.”

Harry pondered this for a while. It made sense that if you grew up a certain way, you’d think that was normal. He had thought it was normal to sleep under the stairs he was six.

He was glad Snape wasn’t defending them or saying what Malfoy did was okay; instead, he was being honest with Harry. It felt strange to have an adult speak so openly with him; he hoped he would grow used to this.

A knock on the door alerted Harry to the arrival of the Slytherins, his new housemates. Severus walked to the door, pausing before opening to look at Harry. He gestured with his hands and took a deep breath and exhaled, reminding Harry to do the same. Then, he opened the door, releasing the snakes.

* * *

“Hello, Uncle. What can we… why is Potter here?”

_And so it begins_, Severus thought himself. He watched as his Godson sneered at Harry, noticing how Harry uncharacteristically shrank back into himself, likely worried about starting a fight with Draco.

“He has been invited, as have the rest of the Slytherin Fourth-years. Please take a seat; we have much to discuss.”

He surveyed his snakes, looking at their reactions to the green-eyed boy already seated. He noticed how Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini sat down comfortably in the seats beside Harry; he saw how Pansy Parkinson was waiting for Draco to take the seat on Theodore’s left before taking the seat behind him. The remaining, Tracey Davis, Daphne Greengrass, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, and Millicent Bulstrode took their places in the remaining seats.

“I have just been informed of a statute in the Hogwarts bylaws that states that any child or ward of a Head of House will automatically be placed in their guardian's house. As I have adopted Mister Potter-Snape yesterday, he is now officially a member of Slytherin House.”

He watched as disbelieve crossed the faces of his young snakes. He had always been kinder to the members of his house then he had been to others. He was known to keep tabs on those that struggled at home; he often would be comforting homesick first-years in the beginning months of school late at night. But becoming a father overnight likely shocked his snakes.

“What the FU…”

“Draco, I would caution you not to finish that sentence.” Severus had expected an outburst like this from his Godson, Draco had always been emotional and was prone to speaking without thinking first. He watched as Draco slumped in his seat, sulking in annoyance before remembering himself and straightening his back once more. He knew Lucius loathed terrible posture.

“Harry is now my son and a member of Slytherin. I expect him to be treated as such. I also hoped you would take it amongst yourselves to go over the covenant of our house with him, though if you would prefer, I can leave that of a prefect?”

The Slytherin Covenant was basically the bylaws for the house. It stressed the importance of house unity and self-preservation, something Harry seemed to be lacking greatly, and was taught to each snake on their first night at Hogwarts. He knew the Fourth-Years would take great pride in teaching these to Harry, as it was usually something the Seventh-Years did, they took it as a badge of honor to instill these lessons into their new housemates.

“No, sir. We would be more than happy to show Potter what it means to be a Slytherin.” Blaise answered. Snape held back a smile; he had assumed that Blaise or Theodore would be the quickest to accept Harry. Unlike Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle, those two were rarely involved in the fights and arguments that took place between the Lions and Snakes. They were likely found in a corner with their nose in a book, much like Miss Granger. Though each child came with a few downsides. Notably, Theodore Nott Sr. being a death eater, and Clarissa Zabini allegedly has murdered all of her husbands. Those, however, were matters for another time.

“Good, now more than ever I will need you to hold tightly to the tenant of our house. Harry becoming a Slytherin will not only be hard for him, but it will also open our house to more scrutiny. There will likely be those who will try to ‘save’ him or something similarly idiotic. When they realize that he does not need saving, it will likely be worse, be on guard. As always, no Slytherin is to walk the halls alone, it isn’t safe.”

A Slytherin walking the halls alone was target practice. It was something every student learned once the hard way, Severus hoped <strike>his son</strike> Harry wouldn’t have to learn this particular lesson, but, it seemed life was often cruel to the small boy.

“You are all excused. Harry will meet you in the Great Hall; there will likely be an announcement of his change of house and adoption. You may all talk to the members of the house about what I have told you, however, keep it in the house.”

With that, his snakes respectively got up and moved towards the door. “Before you go, I should remind you do not pry; you are not owed an explanation from Harry or me. If I hear you are sticking your nose where it does not belong, you will come to find your weekends filled cleaning cauldrons.”

With shocked looks on their faces, the children quickly left his office, giving Severus a moment of peace to cross another task off his to-do list. Notably, writing to Lucius and Narcissa.

He had hoped to have a bit more time to contact his friends, but with Harry’s change of house, he knew he only had a few hours before Draco wrote his father.

> **_Lucius and Narcissa,_ **
> 
> **_I hope you are both well, as I have some exciting, though shocking, news to share. Recently it came to the attention of some of the Professors at Hogwarts that a student was being abused by their muggle relatives. As we could not allow this to continue, I took the opportunity to adopt said student. I am quite pleased with my new son, though you may be shocked to hear that it is Harry Potter. He has recently been moved into Slytherin House and will be in close quarters with your son; I expect his owl will be arriving only moments after mine._ **
> 
> **_I do not wish to put your family in danger, but I cannot bear the thought of losing my two most dear companions. I will understand completely if you need to distance yourself from me but know that I will always be here for you and Draco._ **
> 
> **_ With the greatest care,_ **
> 
> ** _ Severus_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I am working on making the font for letters different when the characters send notes but am having a lot of trouble. If anyone had pointers let me know. I have found some stuff on the site, but am having no luck


	15. Welcome to Slytherin

Harry sat, nervously fidgeting, in the Slytherin Common room, taking in the soft green glow from the black lake. The fire in the hearth warmed the room, but much like the rest of the dungeon, a chill clung to the air, though Harry did not find in unpleasant, instead it felt invigorating.

“Like what you see? I’m guessing the Gryffindor common room is bright red, loud, and overheated. We’re a bit more refined down here,” Malfoy said with a condescending air.

Harry thought to answer that, yes, it was nice but decided it might be fun to bait the blonde boy a bit. “Yeah, it’s great down here, but I’ve already been in this common room before, so I knew what to expect.” Maybe one day, he would tell them about using Polyjuice potion to sneak in, but for now, it was fun to watch Malfoy turn red.

“When where you…”

“So, there are rules I need to learn?” He asked, cutting Malfoy off with a smirk while surveying the group of students sitting around him. Malfoy stood to the side of the group, staring at him with narrowed eyes, obviously disgruntled that new addition to his house had cut him off.

Daphne took it upon herself to speak first. “Yes, Harry, there are quite a few rules for our house. Some are things implemented by Snape, things like study groups, mandatory health checks, and bedtimes. But, I believe it may be best to go over the Slytherin Covenant first.”

“Wait, bedtime? You guys have a bedtime? What time is it? How do you get all your work done if you are forced to go to bed early?” Harry thought about how, in Gryffindor, it was not strange to spend every night up till midnight, how he would often be stuck in the common room late at night doing last-minute homework.

“Snape’s big on order,” Blaise said from his seat at Harry’s side. “He sets a bedtime and a study time for every year, no exceptions until you’re seventeen, but even then most students are just so used to the schedule they continue as if they are still on it. As Fourth-years, our lights out is at nine-thirty o’clock, but that isn’t the important part of this discussion. We can go over stuff like that after dinner, but you need to know the Covenant before going into the Great Hall.”

Harry nodded, allowing his housemates to continue. He would deal with the rule later, though he still thought a bedtime sounded absurd.

“The basic part of the Covenant is pretty simple. Slytherins protect their own. You may have been a Gryffindor before, but you are now one of us. We protect you, and you protect us.”

“Gryffindors protect each other too, it’s not just a Slytherin thing,” Harry interjected, feeling the need to defend his past house.

“Not like us,” Malfoy stepped forward slightly, speaking to Harry for the first time since leaving Snape’s office. “We saw you Second Year when the Lions turned their back on you because you're a Parselmouth. We heard this weekend how the Gryffindors kicked you out and didn’t believe you when you said you didn’t enter the Tournament. That’s not how it works here. I don’t like you Potter, but you’re not going to get that here. You say you didn’t do it, we will believe you…" Draco trailed off for a moment, then continued with a devious grin. "Well, some people might not, but at least we will tell everyone we believe you and stand up for you when people call you a liar.” Malfoy went on, passionately talking about his house, his love for it evident in his tone. “We stand together because if we are divided, the other houses will take notice and exploit that. You need to know this; we can’t have you being all ‘Gryffindor’ and going off on us in public. If you have a problem with someone in the house, save it for in the dorms, we don’t fight in public. If Snape catches us, the punishment is pretty severe. Usually, a month of detention with the person you fought with, so you have to clean cauldrons and work out your issues.”

Harry pounder this for a while. It was true; he had never heard of any infighting between Slytherins. In Gryffindor, it was usual for fights to break out in the hall between people who were at odds with each other. He had watched Ron and Hermione do this last year over their pets and had seen it with the Weasley brothers on more than one occasion.

“Okay, so no fighting in public with you, Malfoy, I’ll save that for the dorms. Is that it?” He asked. He noticed Malfoy smirk a bit at his comment and even thought he heard a snort of laughter.

“That’s just the gist.” Theodore or Theo, as he had asked Harry to call him on their walk to the dungeons, continued, “We don’t report things to the professors. If we catch you doing something wrong, we won’t tell, and you will do the same for us. We know you sneak out a lot, so as long as you don’t get caught or hurt, we will turn a blind eye.”

_That works_, Harry thought. He had a feeling with the Tri-wizard Tournament being forced on him; he would need to spend some time sneaking into the restricted section or an abandoned classroom to practice spells.

As if understanding what Harry was thinking, Pansy took over. “We will want you to succeed in the Tournament as well. When one snake succeeds, we all do, so most likely, everyone in the house will be offering to help you, especially since you’re now Snape’s son. So before you sneak out and lose us points, come to us? If you get caught by another Professor and lose points or get detention, Snape will add on to your punishment, right Draco?”

Pansy turned to the blonde while everyone laughed, even Malfoy, who nodded and turned to Harry to explain. “First-Year, when we had to go into the Forbidden Forest, I also had detention with Snape every night for two weeks. I would clean cauldrons for an hour and then wrote lines, ‘I will think first before putting a plan into action because I am not a Gryffindor.’ I had to write that two-thousand times. He was more annoyed that I got caught though, he’s okay with us being a bit bad every once in a while because he understands that we're kids, but he thinks if we are being a bit naughty, we should be smart enough not to get caught.”

Harry laughed, thinking about how annoyed Snape always was about not catching Harry when he was sneaking around. He knew that the Professor knew about his invisibility cloak, but he did not know about the Marauders Maps, maybe one day, he would tell him, but that wouldn’t be for a while.

“I don’t get caught anymore,” was all he said to the group. “Is that it? Don’t tattle, don’t get caught, and don’t pick fights?”

“For now. We’ll go over more after dinner. Before we go to the Great Hall, let’s show you the dorms.” And with that final statement from Blaise, the boys made their way to the Fourth-Year boys' dorm, and Harry settled into his new room.

* * *

Sitting at the Slytherin table, Harry tried to ignore the stares. He purposely sat with his back to the other houses; however, he had come to regret that, as he could feel eye burrowing their way through the back of his skull.

“Your attention, please.” Harry turned to see Dumbledore standing before the lectern on stage on the high table. “I am sure many of you have noticed that a certain member of the school is seated with a different house. I am happy to inform you that Professor Snape has adopted Mr. Potter, and as such, is now placed in Slytherin. I am sure Gryffindor will miss him greatly, and Slytherin is thrilled to welcome a new student into their midst. As for Professor Snape and Mr. Potter-Snape congratulations on finding a family on one and other, I believe I speak for everyone when I say we couldn’t be happy for you both.”

For a moment there was no reaction until slowly the Slytherin table began to applaud. He could not tell if anyone else had joined from the other table, but in his head, he imagined the looks from the Gryffindor table. Harry moved his eyes to look at Severus, feeling a slight panic. The corners of Snape's lips heightened slightly, undetectable to most people, but Harry saw the shadow of a smile. The Professor made the same small hand gesture he had made before in his office, reminding Harry to take a deep breath in and exhale slowly. Harry complied, doing this multiple times before turning his attention back to the table, now filled with food.

He noticed the two small vials, the red as a healing potion and the green as his nutrient potion/appetite stimulant, next to an already filled plate. Severus had told him that he would be getting pre-decided meals for a while. Snape and Madam Pomfrey had informed him that he needed a ‘balanced diet,’ and they worried he’d struggle to get exactly what he needed. He had to eat what was in front of him first, and then if he wanted more, he could choose from anything at the table. Looking at the plates in front of him, he had no issues. A large piece of broiled chicken breast, crispy green beans, sweet potatoes, and a side of yogurt topped with fruit, nuts, and honey. He downed both potions without a word, disregarding the concerned looks on his housemate's faces as they wondered what the potions were for, and ate silently until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He jerked around, instinctively preparing for a fight, only to be met with the honey-colored eyes of Hermione. Before a word could leave his mouth, he was tugged into the arms of the girl he considered a sister.

“I missed you, Harry. Come to the Library after lunch? Neville and I want to talk to you?” She whispered in his ear, still holding him tightly. Harry tightened his grip, burying his face in the mess of brunette curls, inhaling the lavender scent that clung to the bushy tresses. He still had Hermione and Neville; they hadn’t left him even though he was a Slytherin now. The thought alone almost made him cry. Harry stayed hidden in Hermione’s curls till he knew the tears had retreated from his eyes; he refused to cry in front of his new housemates.

“I’ll be there. I missed you too, Hermione,” he replied, extracting himself from her warm embrace. Hermione looked past him momentarily, making eye contact with Malfoy, her eyes hardened before she smiled at Harry and left the Great Hall.

Harry turned back to his meal, determined to clear his plate, hoping it would make his new guardian proud. He did not know how he would do it, but Harry was determined for Severus to be proud of him. If Harry was going to be Snape’s <strike>son</strike> ward, he would find a way to be worthy of the title.


	16. Parseltongue and Other Ways to Speak to Snakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the longest time, this was my favorite chapter!! I know, I am not supposed to have favorites but I do, I guess I'm a bad mommy or something! But this was the first chapter that had me bouncing up and down on the bed giggling with joy as I wrote because it just felt so good to get this chapter written! Since then I have had a few other chapters like that, but this was my first favorite, so please let me know what you think!
> 
> I know I am posting early (5 1/2 hours before Wednesday), but my schedule tomorrow is a bit full and I'd rather give you guys a chapter early than be late!

When Harry had finally finished dinner, most of his class had already left the Great Hall. However, as rules dictated Harry could not roam the halls alone, so Blaise had been the one to wait for Harry to finish eating and walk him back down to the dungeons.

“I’m not gonna pry,” The boy said as they walked, finally breaking the slightly uncomfortable silence they had been holding. “But I’m assuming something major had to happen for Snape to adopt you. So, if you wanna talk about it… well, I’m a good listener.”

Harry looked at the dark-skinned Italian skeptically. He hadn’t expected any of the Slytherins to try and be friendly; he had been planning to spend the remaining years just getting by. But, it seemed that at least one of the snakes might be nice. Harry did not think he would ever trust him with his past, he doubted he would ever tell anyone the whole truth, but the offer was nice.

“Thanks… Why are you being nice to me?” He wasn’t used to this kindness, especially not from any of the Slytherins, so Harry was waiting for the shoe to drop. He didn’t even know Blaise; the boy never really spoke in class and, though he was often walking with Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, he never participated in their bullying. It seemed too good to be true that he could find a friend so soon.

“Well, I don’t really know you, and you don’t know me. I think if you are going to be a Slytherin, you are going to need someone by your side, and that’s not gonna be Draco, at least not for a while. At some point, you should know that he is going to turn into a mother-hen, he has done that with all of us. Even though he’s the youngest…, well actually now you’re the youngest now, he is everyone's big brother. Get ready for him to start re-wrapping your scarfs and scolding you if you forget your gloves. If he thinks you haven’t eaten enough he’ll start piling food on your plate, it’s a bit ridiculous.”

This may have been the most shocking revelation to date; this description didn’t sound like Malfoy, it sounded like Molly Weasley. Harry was looking forward to seeing this side of his old foe, at minimum it should be amusing.

“Anyway, that’s off-topic. Honestly, I thought I might as well give you a chance and try and be friends. You can’t be all that bad if Snape adopted you.” He said all this in a very matter of fact tone. As if it was obvious.

“Oh… okay… so…” Harry tried desperately to think of something to say. His brain immediately went to Quidditch, but he didn’t know if Blaise liked or played Quidditch.

“You know we have a class snake?” Blaise said, breaking Harry from his thoughts. “You can talk to snakes, so it will be really cool to introduce you to Herc, that’s short of Hercules. Each year gets a snake in the first week of school, it’s a time honor tradition, and we keep the snake for the seven years we are at school. Each summer someone takes the snake home with them, last summer it was Pansy. It will be nice having you talk to him, and maybe we could find out more about him.”

“Really? What kind of snake? Who gets to keep him after we graduate?” Harry couldn’t contain his excitement. He knew if he had a snake in Gryffindor, he would be judged, but he had always wanted to get a pet snake. He had thought it would be the perfect companion, someone he could tell everything to without fear that they would tell anyone his secrets.

“Herc is a ball python. Most years either get a ball python, a ladder snake, or a corn snake because they aren’t venomous. Usually, when we reach Seventh-Year we let the snake choice who they want to go with, though everyone usually tries to visit them, I think that’s why they do it, so we are forced to stay connected with our year. At some point during seventh year, everyone sits in a circle, and they place the snake in the center, whoever they slither to takes them home. I have a feeling you will be the one taking Herc home with you.”

The two boys reached the stone wall of the concealed the Slytherin Common room. Stating the password, which was, ironically, Polyjuice, the two entered the fire lit room and took their place on the couch next to the fire.

“Pansy, while we start explaining the rule go get Herc, I can’t wait to see what he says to Harry,” Blaise spoke with a devious grin on his face. “I hope you guys haven’t revealed too many secrets to our beloved snake, now that we have a Parselmouth, nothing will be secret for long.”

“I won’t tell you anything,” Harry said quickly, hoping to keep what little good-will had been shown to him this far. “I promise, I’ll tell Hercules that I don’t want to hear what you have told him. That wouldn’t be fair.”

Everyone laughed as if he had said the funniest thing imaginable. “Potter, don’t be such a Gryffindor.” Malfoy sneered from his place laying on the couch. “You could have held that over our heads for months, but of course, you have to be noble. As it is, I doubt the snake will keep his mouth shut, but you probably will, or at least you’ll try.” He finished speaking with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

“Okay, rules. Most of these are basic, parent-type stuff. Snape can be really strict, but most of his rules are really just about us being healthy.” Daphne took a seat next to Harry, a piece of paper in her hand. “As we said, bedtime is nine-thirty o’clock on weekdays, and weekends it’s up to you. Snape makes no exceptions for this, even when it comes to Quidditch. If he catches you out of bed for anything other than an emergency… well, don’t get caught. Each year has a mandatory study group one day a week, ours is on Friday nights for two hours, seven o’clock to nine o’clock. Snape hosts them in the classroom next to his office, but he set it up like a common room, so it's comfy for us. He comes and sits with us, usually doing his markings, but doesn’t interfere unless we have a question or a fight. However, his first response will always be ‘have you asked your peers,’” She said this in the best Snape impression, gaining a laugh. “So if you are having problems with homework, ask us first. It’s his way of getting us to all play nice. One of his big rules is no skipping meals, we saw that you had a meal plan, you aren’t the only one in the house so don’t worry about that, but when you are off, you will notice that Snape is super strict about diet. We don’t get the junk food that the other houses get except on weekends and holidays. If he notices you aren’t eating at all or just aren’t eating healthy, he puts you on a meal plan for a month.”

Harry thought over all these new rules. “McGonagall never had rules like this. It was basically ‘don’t fight, don’t die, and don’t cause trouble.’”

“Well, that’s what happens when you put all the students with no impulse control into the same house. I doubt she could have gotten any of the Lions to listen even if she did place rules like this on them.” Pansy said, walking down the stairs carrying a snake in both hands.

Harry took in the sight of the beautiful Ivory Ball Python’s startlingly bright white scales and eyes blacker than Snape’s, with blood-red pupils.

“I am sure you can guess who picked a platinum white snake,” Pansy said, giggling as she transferred the snake to Harry’s waiting arms.

**_“Hello, Hercules. I’m Harry, I just join Slytherin, and I am very pleased to meet you”_** He spoke clearly, or as clearly as one could hiss, hoping to convey his reverence for the beautiful reptile.

“**_Ah, a young speaker. I have never met a hackling who could speak. I am quite glad to meet you, young one. Your companions are kind but misled, it shall be nice to speak my mind to one who can hear me,_**” the snake replied, slithering its way up Harry’s arm until he was slung over his neck like a scarf.

**_“Misled how?”_ **

**_“They have misnamed me. I have not male, and the name they have given me does not reflect the beauty I possess. It displeases me greatly.”_ **

Harry took in the snake’s word. He wanted to help but didn’t want to offend his housemates. He looked up at the people around him and noticed that many in the common room had gathered around the Fourth-Years, obviously intrigued by Harry’s abilities.

“What wrong, is he okay?” Malfoy said, moving directly in front of Harry to card his hand down the pearlescent white back of the beloved snake. “You need to work on your poker face Potter; you wear your emotions too easily.”

Disregarding the snub from Malfoy, Harry explained. “Well, he is actually a she, and she doesn’t like her name. She says it doesn’t represent how pretty she is, and it displeases her.” He spoke in a small voice, hoping they wouldn’t take offense. They had been with this snake for four years, how dare Harry come in and tell them how to treat their combined familiar.

“Oh, I’m sorry, girl, we didn’t know.” Harry looked up again to see Malfoy talking lovingly to the snake, unashamed as he cooed his apology. “Potter, is there a name she would prefer, or would she like us to choose?”

**_“I would like you to choose for me; however, I will tell you if the name is distasteful,”_** The little snake replied, flicking its tongue against Malfoy’s nose as if to she was giving him a kiss.

“She says we can choose, but she wanted veto powers.”

With that, the Fourth-Years went back and forth between names. The serpent had disregarded many of the first options, such as Annabel, Rose, Carina, Katharine, Selena, and Gemma.

“How about Mira?” Crabbe said, surprising everyone by joining the conversation. Harry had barely ever heard him speak before, except for when he and Ron took Polyjuice potion. “Like the star, ‘Mira the Wonderful.’ Hercules was a constellation, so it only makes sense that her name is a star or a constellation. Mira is also a red star, like the red in her eyes; it seems to fit.”

_Wait, is Crabbe smart?_ Harry couldn’t help but think to himself. He had never heard the large boy put more than a few words together in a sentence, but it seemed he had a basic understanding of Astronomy.

**_“I like that human, he doesn’t speak often, but when he does, it is always worth listening,” _**the snake replied, furthering Harry’s confusion.**_ “Yes, I wish to be known as Mira the Wonderful, for I am truly wonderful.”_**

“She likes it,” Harry said, smiling down at the serpent still wrapped around his neck. He would come to terms with Crabbe’s newfound genius at another time.

Harry spent the rest of the evening in the common room with Mira. Each year had decided to bring their snake to Harry, checking to make sure they like their name, were comfortable with their living space, or to see who their favorite person in the year was. Mira stayed with him the entire, staking her claim to the small boy. At times when one of the snakes would ask him to visit, Mira was quick to remind them that Harry was her hatchling, not theirs.

Surrounded by snakes, literally and figuratively, Harry found a small bit of peace. He may not have won over everyone, but he found that it was not going to be too hard to become friends, or at least acquaintances, with the Slytherins; he just had to learn to speak their language too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is what Mira would look like!  
http://www.worldofballpythons.com/files/morphs/ivory/019.jpg


	17. The Night-Night Drink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The feedback on the last chapter made me cry! I am so thankful for all the support and love from each and every one of you! This chapter is PURE FLUFF, so prepare yourself!
> 
> Furthermore, I could use a bit of help! I am reaching a slight bit of writer's block and would love to know what you guys would love to see in this fic? I might not be able to accommodate, but I am hoping it will help get the juices flowing!
> 
> Love you all <3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

Severus did not sleep that night. He tried, but no matter how many times he rearranged pillows, moved from his side to his back, or counted hippogriff, sleep seemed to elude him.

It was Harry’s first night in the Slytherin dorms. He had strategically placed Harry and Draco on opposite sides of the room, using Theodore and Blaise as buffers between Harry and Draco’s trio. He had not known how Vincent and Gregory would behave but felt it was best to err on the side of caution until he saw how Draco and Harry would behave together. He hoped the blonde would take Harry under his wing the way he protected the rest of his housemates, but only time would tell.

He worried about his small <strike>son</strike> ward, spending his first night in the dungeons. He wondered if this was how some parents felt sending their kids to Hogwarts. He was only a three-minute walk from Harry, and still, he worried.

When the clock struck twelve, Severus debated himself on whether he should check on Harry. He got up, with the intent to check multiple times. Each time he covered himself in his dressing gown and walked towards the door only to pause and turn away once more before he grasped the handle. He didn’t want to be overbearing or embarrass the boy; he knew his snakes would eat him alive if Severus were caught.

Finally, giving up on sleep, Severus sat in front of the fire, nursing a muggle scotch he had taken a liking to. _You’re acting like a mother hen, you have officially become worse than Molly and Cissa combined._ He knew that wasn’t entirely true, but he couldn’t help but remember how Lucius and Narcissa would check on Draco every fifteen minutes to make sure he was doing well.

A shift in the wards startled him from his thought. Severus heard the door open behind his and grabbed his wand, preparing to strike, only to be met with nothing.

Slowly, the boy from his thoughts appeared, showing himself inch by inch as he unwrapped himself from the Potter Invisibility cloak.

_That damn cloak_. He could help the slight twinge of anger that broiled in him at the sight of it. It had been the bane of his existence for many years, first with James, how he always avoided punishments for his pranks because of it, then, later with Harry, aiding him as he threw himself into danger.

Now, however, it seemed like a blessing. He saw how Harry shrank into himself, his eyes, slightly puffy, cast down on the floor.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you up?” he asked in a rough voice. Severus wanted nothing more than to wrap the small boy in his arms. So many things had changed in Harry's life, all in one weekend; he couldn’t imagine the weight that had put on his frail back.

Instead of embracing him, Severus beckoned Harry over to the couch; slyly call for Winnie to bring him what his mother used to call a “night-night drink,” warmed milk with treacle and cinnamon. He did not want to give Harry dreamless sleep unless absolutely necessary, so hopeful this would calm him the way it used to calm Severus when he was a child. When she quickly returned, the two men sat facing each other on the couch, nursing their beverages.

“I honestly could not sleep; I was fighting with myself, wondering if I should come to check on you. It seems this adoption has turned me into some sort of ‘mother hen’ and I cannot go five minutes without worrying about you.”

Severus delighted in the sweet, shy smile that crossed Harry's face, only slightly hidden by the cup of warm milk.

“You know my mother used to make me that drink when I was young. If I had a hard day or a nightmare, she would bring it to me, and I would sit in bed while she told me a story or listened to me vent about my troubles or tell her about my day. I am glad I now have someone to pass this to, Harry.”

He had not expected to be so candid with the boy. He would likely blame the time of night or the minuscule amount of scotch, but when the words left his mouth, he did not regret it. It was one of the few happy memories of his childhood; those safe, tender, stolen moments with his mother, and he had seemed to have forgotten them until a small green-eyed boy brought them to mind.

“I met the house snakes today,” Harry said, speaking just above a whisper.

“Really? Did you and Hercules get along well? I am sure he and many of the other snakes will be overjoyed to have a Parselmouth in their midst.”

“Well, we had to rename Hercules, because he is actually a she and didn’t like her name. So now her name is Mira, after the star ‘Mira the Wonderful.’ Crabbe came up with it; did you know Crabbe was smart? I didn’t.”

Severus couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped his lips. “Well, Vincent Crabbe, and really all my Slytherins, is not always what he seems. You will come to learn that most of the members of my house wear a mask outside of the dungeon as a way to keep themselves safe or to give them an upper-hand. Vincent is actually a very intelligent person; his grades are on par with your own, though he did not come to Hogwarts with the knowledge or learning abilities he now possesses. Upon his first year a few students noticed that he struggled with reading and writing, even though he could understand lectures. Later that year we had his tested and discovered he had Dyslexia. Since discovering this he has been thriving, Draco and Blaise set up the study groups to accommodate his learning disability. His grades are in the top 50% of your class, however, he and Gregory have decided to allow people to believe they are not as intelligent as they are. It affords them a certain element of surprise and protection. If something happens, they can claim ignorance; they simply couldn’t be smart enough to do whatever it was they might be accused of.”

He could see this did not exactly sit well with Harry, being a Gryffindor for so long, he likely did not approve of such trickery. “I understand you might think of this lying, but remember, Slytherin is a house of cunning and ambition. They saw an advantage and decided to exploit it. Many members of our house will do the same, and at some point, you may find yourself in need of your own mask.”

“Okay. I'm glad he got help anyways." Harry looked around, lost for a moment before picking a new topic. "So I met every year's snake because some of the people from the other years heard that Mira didn’t like her name and wanted me to check in with their snakes. I had to lie about what some of the snakes said, though, because I don’t want people to be mad if I know their secrets.”

_Such a Gryffindor._ “Well, that is very kind of you, Harry. I am sure many of your housemates would not have been as noble.”

At this, the small boy chuckled. “That’s what Malfoy said when I promised to tell Mira not to share people's secrets with me. He said I was being such a Gryffindor and that a Slytherin would have held their secrets against everyone.”

“I will not lie to you, Harry, I also just thought ‘he is such a Gryffindor,’ but that is not truly a bad thing. I do not want you to lose those honest and noble qualities. I hope that Slytherin gives you some self-preservation skills as well as a bit of cunning.”

They sat in silence a while longer, both enjoying each other's company, not needing to fill their time with noise.

He didn’t know if he should let Harry stay here tonight. He knew Harry needed to get accustomed to staying in his new dorm, but he also needed Harry to feel safe with him. _Would sending him back be a violation of his trust, or would having him stay hinder his growth?_ Vowing to order parent books and books on raising abused children tomorrow, Severus decided to just go with what Harry wanted tonight.

“Would you prefer to spend the night in your room, or would you like me to walk you back down to the dorms?”

Harry didn’t answer for a while; he just sat looking at his hands, momentarily lost in thought. Minutes passed before he spoke.

“When I would have nightmares in my dorm, I always had Hermione. Somehow, whenever I had a nightmare and woke up, she always knew and would sneak into the boy's dorm and sit with me until I fell asleep. I told her the nightmares were about Vol- um Him; some of them were, so I think she believed me. I guess she used a spell to alert her when it happened. I was worried about falling asleep and people hearing me if I woke up and laughing at me. I don’t know how to get through that without her.”

Severus had never been more thankful for the know-it-all. There seemed to be a thing about those swotty Gryffindor girls, and there need to take care of people. He thought fondly of Lily and wondered if she would have done the same for him if they had shared a house. As it was, she would always check in with him, and somehow at breakfast, she could always tell when he had a bad dream and would come to him with chocolate or something to cheer him up.

“Well, I can place similar wards on your bed. If you have a nightmare, I will immediately come to you, no matter what time it is. I don’t want you to fear sleep or to wake up alone when you are in need of comfort. Furthermore, if you need me or your bedroom here and that door is always open to you, Harry. Where ever I am living is also your home, though at some point you will be moved into Prince Manor, for now, these four walls are our home. Though I do not allow my Slytherins out of bed at such a late hour, as long as you use your cloak and only come here, I will turn a blind eye.”

“Okay, I guess I can go back to the dorms, I don’t want everyone to wake up and see that I’m gone.”

Harry stood up to grab his cloak, and the two left their rooms headed toward the dungeons. Severus walked Harry to his bed and tucked him in; as though it was something he had done his entire life. He watched as Harry’s shone bright, realizing that the boy had likely never had this kind of child-like tenderness bestowed on him. Severus ran a hand through his black tresses and placed a kiss on his forehead, “Goodnight, Harry.”

It was affection Severus was not accustomed to giving, but Harry deserved it, and so he would put aside his stoic nature and try and provide the affection this boy needed.

Severus turned to leave the Fourth-Year dorms when he noticed a set of eyes wide awake. Blaise Zabini looked between this Professor and new house-mate, smiled, and closed his eyes once more, leaving Severus to wondering how his snake would use this new information; for good or bad?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the Night-Night Drink is actually something I make myself sometimes, though I use honey. Just thought it would be cute.


	18. And So It Begins

The next day was… strange, to say the least. Harry woke with the rest of his dorm mates at seven-thirty o’clock am when an alarm went off. Apparently, in Slytherin, everyone got up at the same time and left for breakfast together. He dressed quickly, not paying attention to the Slytherin insignia now embroidered on the chest of his robes or the green tie fastened around his neck.

Walking into the Great Hall in green was a daunting experience. But, once again, he sat with his back to the other houses and focused instead on the potions and food that sat in front of him. Today he got an omelet with cheese, spinach, onion, and peppers. To the side was a bowl of yoghurt with fruit and honey, just like last night's dessert. He also had something that looked like chocolate milk, but it was thicker. It tasted delicious, so Harry drank it without question. He was surprised how much he was able to eat with the aid of his potions; he wouldn’t be surprised if he put on a stone by the end of the month.

“So, first night with the snakes, Harrykins. How we have missed you, haven’t we Forge?”

Harry turned to see the infamous red-haired duo right before they squeezed themselves beside him at the Slytherin table, much to the chagrin of Blaise and Theo who had been sitting beside him.

“Quite right, dear Gred. Our little Harry is growing up and moving on… it seems only yesterday he was our sweet little lion!” George, Harry knew it was George because he had a small scar on his left cheek, threw his arm around the small boy, and tousled his hair.

“Don’t you worry your little head off Harrykins; you aren’t the only one who slept with the snakes last night!” Fred turned towards the Gryffindor table, promoting Harry to do the same.

Ron was staring at the trio, he looked murderous; his face was redder than his hair, fist clenched, and Harry could see a vein throbbing in his temple.

“What did you two do to Weasley number six?” Blaise asked. He was now seated next to Fred, as he had been forcibly moved aside when the twins infiltrated the Slytherin table.

“Nothing really, nothing at all. We just heard Ron going on and on about snakes and how Harry was now one of them, and we thought to ourselves; ‘selves, our baby brother has must be really sad and jealous, what can we, as big loving brothers, do to cheer our Ronnikins up?’”

“Exactly, Forge! So we came to the logical conclusion that he would love a new pet snake. We thought it best to surprise him, though; you know how people love waking up to surprises.” A devilish grin spread across George’s face as he said this.

Harry couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him, and it seemed that the Slytherins around his couldn’t either. He could just imagine Ron waking up with a snake in his bed, luckily for him, it wasn’t a spider, and screaming in fear.

As they laughed, Fred pulled Harry close and whispered in his ear. “He’s our brother, but you are too. We believe you, Harry, and we don’t care if you’re a snake or a lion. You’ll always be our little brother.”

Not wanting to cause even more of a scene, Harry lowered both his hands from the table to grasp each of the twin's hands. Giving them a squeeze, he hoped to convey his love and gratitude for the boys he thought of as older brothers.

“Well, Misters Weasley, as much as I am… overjoyed… that you are continuing your friendship with Mr. Potter-Snape, I need you to return to your table so I may have a quick word with my snakes,” a voice sneered behind him.

The twins exchanged a look, and then quickly departed the table before Snape could give them detention. Snape watched them leave, not turning back to the Slytherins until they were both seated. He then lifted his wand, and said “Muffliato,” causing all the noise in the hall to turn to a muffled mess in the background.

“Slytherins, I am sure last night's revelations were… shocking to many of you. As you have been informed, Harry Potter was adopted by me this weekend and as such is now a member of our house. I should remind you that there I have absolutely zero tolerance for infighting or public displays of aggression or disdain towards fellow members of our house. Therefore, if you hear someone talking about Mr. Potter-Snape entering the Tri-wizard Tournament, I expect you to either tell the truth, that he did not enter, or keep your mouths shut. Furthermore, I expect you to treat him as I would have you treat any member of our distinguished house. If I hear otherwise, you will know of my displeasure, am I understood?”

A choir of ‘Yes, sir’ followed his statement, after which Severus dropped the spell. He then moved directly to Harry and handed him a piece of paper.

“Your new timetable. Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Zabini, you seem to have all the same classes as Mr. Potter, so please walk with him to and from classes.”

“Yes sir, we already told him about walking in packs, he’ll be well protected, I promise Uncle,” Malfoy said. Harry turned to gawk at Malfoy. Was he going to protect him?

“Close your mouth Potter, you look like a fool. Before you even ask, yes, I am going to make sure nothing happens to you. Uncle Sev has been in my family for years, since he was a second-year, so if you are now adopted by him, that means you’re family, you are basically my cousin. I know our history, but there is something you need to know about Malfoy’s, family is everything. I don’t know how Mother and Father will react yet, but while you are here, you are considered under my protection.” He tucked back into his food as if he had said nothing, leaving Harry to ponder what he meant. He had a cousin, but that wasn’t how a cousin was supposed to treat you. Maybe Malfoy would be better than Dudley?

“Oh, and call me Draco, nobody in our house calls me Malfoy.”

* * *

Classes that day were strange. McGonagall kept staring at him and smiling throughout the class, likely keeping an eye out for him to have a meltdown. History of Magic was nice because he could take a small nap, though Malfoy and Blaise kept trying to get him to pay attention; apparently, Slytherins are just as studious as Ravenclaws.

Through it all, people stared, gawking at the Boy Who Lived, the Champion, and the kid adopted by the Greasy Dudgeon Bat. However, there was nothing they could do. He walked through the halls surrounded by his housemates. When they had first exited the hall, they seemed to collectively assume a formation. Malfoy out in front, Crabbe and Goyle flanked his sides, Pansy and Daphne in the center, Tracey and Millicent on their sides, and Blaise and Theo in the back. Before they moved, Blaise grabbed Harry by the arm and placed him between Tracey and Millicent, whispering “wands out, always” to him. Together they made their way to the second floor for Charms

Harry felt a bit like the Muggle Minister or a President surrounded by secret service. He didn’t see the need for such an extreme display, but he was not going to question it.

* * *

“Um, Blaise, I know we're supposed to travel in groups, but I need to go to the Library.” Sitting at lunch, Harry felt on edge. He had taken his potions and eaten everything he had to, now he wanted to leave, he wanted to see Hermione and convince himself that she had been telling the truth last night. That she still cared.

“Oh, right, you need to go see your mud… Granger,” Malfoy said, looking down at his plate. Harry didn’t know if he should be angry that he had almost called Hermione and Mudblood or thankful that he had corrected himself and was at least making a small effort.

“Give me five minutes, and we can go together, Harry. I have some studying for Transfiguration that I can get done while you catch up.” Blaise said. Theo added that he would join, and moments later, they were walking into the Library.

Harry followed the two boys, distracted by the thought of seeing his friends. Would they really accept him? It seemed like Neville was on his side the other night, he even yelled at Ron, but that was before. Before Harry had been adopted, before he became a Slytherin, before everything had changed, would Neville feelings change too?

That fear faded as the three snakes entered the library, and Harry looked up to see the blonde boy smiling back at him. His two escorts excused themselves, moving to a table close by so they could keep an eye on Harry, so the three could speak in private… or relative privacy.

“I’m sorry Harry, I shouldn’t have let them go through your stuff or say those things or…” Neville was cut off when Harry wrapped him in his arms. He had never been very close to Neville, Ron had always thought he wasn’t worth the time, he said he isn’t a ‘true Gryffindor.’ But, he was a kind person, and Harry was determined to get closer to him.

“Thanks for believing me.”

Harry felt Neville tighten his hold on him, pulling them further together. “Always, you’re my friend.”

The two broke apart and gave each other bashful smiles, both happy but embarrassed with their display of friendly affection. Hermione quickly hugged Harry and moved them to sit at a table far away from prying eyes, save for the two Slytherin boys studying transfiguration.

For a while, they spoke of nothing important. Neville talked about his Herbology class that day, Hermione asked if Harry would still like to study together, and Harry listened idly, waiting for them to pounce, assuming that Hermione would ask questions first.

“Harry, why were you adopted?” Surprisingly, it was Neville who asked. “You and Snape have always hated each other, and now he’s your dad? What happened?”

Harry contemplated how to talk to them, he had hoped to say something, but he couldn’t. He felt the words lodged in his throat. He couldn’t tell them about the Dursleys, they wouldn’t understand… or worse, they would, and they would finally see him for the freak he was.

_Tick tock little freak, it’s only a matter of time until everyone knows._

“Harry… Harry?” A hand covered his own on the table, and Harry looked up into the honey-colored eyes of his best friend. “You don’t have to tell us, we just want to make sure you are safe.”

How did she always know the right thing to say? “I don’t know when I am going to be ready to talk about it, but when I am, I’ll tell you guys, I promise.” Harry paused as his friends exchanged a worried look, and then quickly returned to look back at him.

“I’m safe, better than safe. I know the idea of Snape adopting me is weird, but I promise I am happy with it. Being in Slytherin is kinda weird but it’s not bad.” He turned to look at the two boys across the room; they both had their heads in a book, facing forward. But Harry could see their eyes, looking at him instead of the text in front of them. “Slytherins protect their own, and as of yesterday, I became one of them, so I’m safe. Snape even had a meeting with all the Fourth-years and then spoke to the whole house. He basically said ‘I adopted Harry, treat him like everyone else, don’t be jerks,’ and I think they all listened.”

“I can’t imagine anyone not listening to Snape, even if you don’t like him, he’s just too scary!” Neville shuddered, and Harry couldn’t help but remember that Neville’s boggart was of Snape. Hermione laughed, obviously also remembering that day, when a boggart Snape stood before them in women's clothing.

The three moved back to studying, at times pausing to speak about what they had read or some gossip they had heard. When it was time to leave, Theo and Blaise waited for Harry and walked with him to the Great Hall for dinner. It had been a great day, nothing could ruin it.

As the boys got to their seats, Harry noticed a parchment on his plate next to his potions. Harry recognized the script and broke the seal to read the letter. He felt his stomach turn as he took in what the note said.

> _**Harry,** _
> 
> _**Professor McGonagall and I will be traveling to Surrey to collect some of your items from your relatives. I will not be back in my chambers until nine o’clock, so if you are in need of someone, go to Madam Pomfrey, she will summon me, and I will come back immediately. I should remind you that no matter what I hear or see, you will never be going back there.** _
> 
> _**I will come to see you when I return,** _
> 
> _**Severus** _


	19. A Parting Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is one of the chapters I am so anxious to post! The confrontation between the Dursley's and Snape is so highly anticipated in this genre that I felt there was a lot of pressure to deliver.
> 
> With that being said, I hope you like it <3

Standing on the pavement, Severus looked in disgust at the house in front of him. No life, character, or thought had gone into the four walls that made up Number 4 Privet Drive. It fit Petunia, as there was no true life in that loathsome woman, only a pale imitation.

If it had not been for the elderly woman beside him, Severus would have already entered the home, likely leaving with blood on his hands. As it was, he knew Minerva was feeling similarly. Though Harry was now one of his snakes, he knew Minerva would always see him as one of her cubs.

Severus had known he would need to make this trip, he could not continue to protect Harry without first taking care of his…relatives. But, he had known he could not go alone, being alone with Petunia would be a one-way ticket to Azkaban.

And so, Minerva McGonagall stood in front of the bland home in Surrey dressed in their muggle finest. Luckily, having grown up with a Muggle father, Severus was accustom to the fashion, and actually preferred the dark blue jeans and black button-down he often wore when not at Hogwarts. Minerva, on the other hand, continued to fiddle with the hem of her knee-lengthed blue skirt or the cuffs of her white sweater.

“Shall we?”

Severus settled his mind, using the skills he had learned through occlumency to calm himself. It had been years since he had needed to remind himself to occlude, but this was going to test his patience.

He knocked on the pristine white door and heard to sound of loud footsteps in the hallway. A blonde teenager, Harry’s cousin, opened the door. Severus could now understand the clothing Harry had worn. Several sizes too big and worn out, all having formerly belonged to the obese person in front of him.

“Hello, how can I help you?” The boy said, looking at them impatiently.

“I am an old acquaintance of your mother, Petunia; I was hoping to see her. Are both your parents home?”

Instead of answering, the blonde turned away and hollered for his mother. _Such excellent manners you’ve taught him._

“YOU!” Petunia yelled as she stalked down the hallway, pushing her son away from the door. “Leave at once; I will not have any more freaks in my home. It is bad enough we must house one; we will not allow any… PUT THAT AWAY”

Severus turned to see that both he and Minerva had their wands out, trained at the skeletal blonde. “Tuney, I think it would be best if you invited us in, we have so much to catch up on.” He spoke in a saccharine sweet voice, though each word dripped with sarcasm.

She backed away as the two wizards made their way into the house. Severus spotted the door to a small closet under the stairs, he wanted to rip the door open and throw Petunia and her loathsome husband inside, but he held back, he’d have his chance later.

Turning into a small sitting room, Severus and McGonagall came face to face with Vernon. The man was an oversized version of his son; large, beefy, and intimidating at first. This man, who abused a child from the time of his infancy, who caused physical and psychological damage that would never be fully healed, did not scare the wizards before him.

Severus felt Minerva tense beside him, knowing the same thoughts were going through her head as they took in the large man, more like an ape, before them.

“Get out! We won’t have any of your kind here in my house!” Vernon said, wrestling to stand from his cushioned chair.

“Gladly, I have no desire to spend any more time than is necessary in this prison you call home. However, first we must speak. It has come to our attention that Harry hasn’t been treated well during his time with you; if we are being honest, it is actually much worse. We have discovered evidence of extreme violence and malnutrition. Have anything to say about that, Dursley?” Snape said all this while inspecting or twirling his wand. He wanted Dursley to be afraid, wanted him to be watching Severus’ wand, knowing the pain it could cause him.

“The freaks a lair! We took him in, we didn’t want to, but we did!” Petunia spoke in a low, harsh, hiss, almost as if she could speak parseltongue. “We took him in out of the goodness of our hearts and what did we get in return. The freakish brat who made our lives miserable.”

Minerva was fuming beside him, all hot-headed Gryffindor rage. He noticed how the lions seemed to blaze like fire when they were angry. Slytherin’s were the opposite, freezing cold, stoic rage that threatened to snap you in half.

“Really? At the age of two, the boy was such a terrible person that you saw fit not to feed him properly? I know you were not low on money, as you were receiving money for housing him.” Severus spoke with a quiet rage, a sound akin to a rumble of thunder before a storm, the promise of destruction soon to come. “At four, he was such an inconvenience that he needed to be put to work, such as cooking and burning himself on a stove he could barely reach. He was so terrible that he deserved the broken bones, concussions, bruises, and scars? How about the emotional and mental abuse? How is a three-year-old already diagnosed with depression? How could a child brought in by ‘the goodness of your hearts’ be so touched starved and neglected that a magical medical scan shows it at three?”

His voice rose in his anger, and he moved to stand nose to nose with the round man in the room, the one he knew delighted in harming Harry. “Was he such a horrible person that he deserved the lashes he received or did you just enjoying hitting a child with a belt? I saw the scars and bruises, as well as a full medical report. Every ailment, injury, or abuse that had befallen Harry Potter is now known, and I promise you Dursley, you will one-day experience every bit of pain that you have given to my son!”

“Your son? So Lily wasn’t just a freak but a whore who cheated on her husband? Even better, we’ve been raising your bastard!” Petunia shrieked from her place by the stairs

Severus turned and smirked, “No, Tuney, I adopted Harry this weekend. He will never set another foot in this house of horrors again. If you are lucky, you will be allowed to continue living here; however, you may not be so lucky.” Severus raised his wand and placed locking and stasis charms on the cupboard “You may instead find that one day a police officer comes to your door to arrest you for child abuse, I will have to ask Harry how he would like you to be dealt with. In the meanwhile, Minerva and I are going to look in Harry’s room and remove any items he may have left behind. After we leave, you will not be able to get into his bedroom or the cupboard he was forced to live in for eleven years.”

He then swept past the family and made his way up to the second floor. The door at the far end of the hallway obviously was the one belonging to Harry; why else would they need five locks and a cat flap on the door. He could not linger on that thought though, he knew if he thought harder about the implications on a cat flap on a teenage boy's door, he would be in Azkaban before the day ended. Instead, he opened the door.

The room was barren, except for the mattress on the ground and various broken toys in the corners. Severus could see that the mattress, which had no sheets or bedding, was splattered with bloodstains. The pillow at the head was flat and had blood on it as well.

Severus turned to see Minerva crying once more, he had never seen this woman so emotionally distraught before, and the two had survived a war.

“He’s safe now, and he will get better,” he said, hoping he believed the words himself. Was Harry Potter ever going to be safe? Had adding his name into the mix given the boy protection or made him a bigger target? These were thoughts for another day; today, he would take care of the Dursleys.

“I know he is, he has a father now.” Minerva chuckled and gave Severus and knowing smirk. “When you called him your son, I thought that horse’s head was going to explode.”

Severus chuckled as well; the words had fallen from his lips without a second thought. He wouldn’t use them with Harry for a while, he knew that was too soon, but he was amazed that in one weekend, the boy already felt like his.

The pair collected the minor amount of things left behind by Harry; a few socks, a science fiction book, and an old Weasley sweater that likely didn’t fit him anymore. The left the room locked and under stasis as they had done with the cupboard and returned downstairs.

Severus made his way to the said, needing to see the prison Harry was left to. Opening the door, he saw a crib mattress on the floor, much like the mattress upstairs, it was bloodstained and smelled of urine. He noticed small broken toy soldiers on the shelf above the cot and made to grab them when he saw a sign, ‘Harry’s Room’ written crudely in crayon.

Severus knelt down at in the door frame of Harry’s former prison, mourning the stolen childhood for the boy who had recently become his. He fought back tears as he remembered his own childhood, and a similar place at Spinner End, just beside the kitchen where he used to hide. But this was not a place where Harry went to escape the screams or fists of an older abusive man, this was the place he was caged in.

He left the small jail and walked to Vernon, fury coursing through him, blinding him to his actions. He had not realized as he pulled his arm back, and his hand clenched into a fist until it connected with the jaw of his son’s abuser.

He watched as the oversized man fell to the floor with delight. “A parting gift from Harry.”


	20. Choices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, hello! So Saturday is my 24th birthday so I am thinking I will be posting an extra chapter! As a birthday present, I would love if you could answer one or two questions in the comments for me!
> 
> 1\. What are you thought on Narcissa?
> 
> 2\. What is something you are looking forward to seeing in this fic?
> 
> See you Saturday my loves!

“Where’s Snape gone?

Draco watched as Potter tore his eyes from the piece of parchment to meet his gaze. He would recognize his Uncle’s handwriting anywhere, so he knew the message was from him.

“Um… I don’t know” Harry said, it was obviously a lie, but Draco decided not to press the issue. It still baffled the boy why Severus would adopt Potter. He hated him, he had said so many times, so why the drastic change in heart? He had initially thought it was Dumbledore’s doing; the old goat had forced his Uncle to do many things that he wouldn’t want to, but the way he spoke to the house at breakfast showed something different; Snape had somehow come to care about Harry Potter.

Having written his parents last night, Draco was cautious with his treatment of the boy. He didn’t know how his father would react to the news and wanted to be ready to flip his treatment without worry. He knew who is family supported in the war, but he also knew that the death of his grandfather had changed the Malfoy allegiances significantly. Could the Malfoy’s stand by Severus if his son was Harry Potter? He hoped so; he didn’t want to lose his beloved Uncle.

The boys ate their meal in silence; once again, Draco noticed that Harry had a meal specially made for him; Salmon, rice, beans, and broccoli for his meal and yogurt with fresh fruit and nuts again for his dessert. He watched as Potter continued looking up to the High Table as if he hoped Snape would appear, but he never did.

He took to watching Potter…; _I should really start trying to think of him as Harry. _He took to watching Harry closely. He had never attempted to notice anything real before, mostly using his orphaned status as fuel for his insults, but now he needed to see more, know more. He hated not being in the know, secrets kept him up at night wondering, and this secret happened to share a dorm with him.

As they walked back to their dorm, Draco continued to obsess with this new mystery, realizing that the only way to get answers was to gain the boy’s trust; he could do that, right?

The snakes made their way down to the dungeons in formation, all keen to begin their homework and studying, but Malfoy instead was laying out his plan; operation find out why my Uncle adopted Harry Potter. _Find a new name Draco, that’s lame._

Upon entering the Common room, Potter dropped his bags on the floor and made his way to the dorms. Draco watched, confused by the action until Harry returned with Mira wrapped around his hand. Draco had hoped to take the snake home with him upon graduation, but it wouldn’t be fair to Mira now that she could have a companion to speak to.

Once the group was all seated in the common room, Potter taking a seat on the floor and transferring Mira to his neck, Draco made his first move. “So Harry, you never did tell us when you had been in the Slytherin common. What did you do, sneak in over Christmas break using parseltongue?”

He watched as the green-eyed boy smirk, “I didn’t, did I?” Draco could see the cogs turning in the boy's mind. He heard the soft hissing of Parseltongue as the boy talked to the beloved snake, possibly asking her opinion. “It was over Christmas holiday, but I didn’t use parseltongue. Actual, you opened the door for me, Draco. Don’t you remember? Second Year?”

“I would never do that!” _What did he mean, ‘I opened the door for_ _him_,’ Draco thought to himself.

“Crabbe! Goyle! Do you remember a day over Christmas break where you were knocked out and woke up in a broom closet?” Harry kept his eyes trained on the snake around his shoulders, not bothering to glance at the boys as he spoke.

The two large boys’ nodded with blank expressions on their faces.

“While I am sure you didn’t notice I borrowed some of your hairs, I needed them for a particular potion I was making. That night I snuck into the common room to find the Heir of Slytherin…I thought it was you, Draco. You confirmed that it wasn’t you, unfortunately for me, because I was hoping to clear my name.”

Pansy was laughing from her seat by the fire, her eyes tearing up. Blaise and Theo both were holding back laughter, though doing a terrible job at it. Draco could feel his jaw lower to the ground. He had not expected this to be the answer. He had thought he was lying, or that the Weasley Twins had found a way to sneak into the dorms to pull pranks. But if what Harry was saying was true… that meant…

“Are you saying that as a Second-Year student, who can't get through a potions class without melting a cauldron, you brewed Polyjuice Potion, knocked those two out, snuck into the Slytherin Common room, interrogated me, and didn’t get caught?”

“… Pretty much,” Harry replied, returning to look down at his book, hiding the smirk from his face as Mira slithered her way into Harry’s hair, making a next in the thick tresses. Pansy continued to laugh, loudly in the corner, taking delight in Draco’s confusion.

It wasn’t much, but sharing this story showed a bit of trust. Obviously, he wouldn’t get in trouble if any of them told a Professor; either they wouldn’t believe him, or they would say it was years ago, and there is no proof.

He couldn’t deny that he was impressed, and by the looks on their faces, so where all the other members for his year. Clearly, Harry didn’t brew the potion by himself, he was terrible at potions. Likely it was Granger who had been the one at the cauldron, but that was still a highly risky, ambitious move, especially if he had been doing it to clear his name and throw Draco under the night bus, quite cunning and ambitions indeed.

“Maybe you are a Slytherin, after all.”

* * *

_Gillyweed was first discovered by Herbologist Beaumont Majoribanks sometime before 1845. However, the magical properties of Gillyweed remained unknown until Elladora Ketteridge ate the plant and nearly suffocated, recovering only when she stuck her head into a bucket of water_

Harry reread the passage in his Herbology book multiple times, failing to absorb the words each time. He continued to try and read, but was distracted by each person coming through the door of the common room, hoping it would be Severus.

Mira moved off of Harry an hour ago, annoyed by his constant movement, and was now settled on Draco’s left hand. He missed the familiar already, but he understood why she had moved to the calmer boy’s hand.

He could tell that his housemates were watching him; every so often, when he looked to the door, we would catch Pansy watching him intently or Blaise glancing over his book at him. Whether they were doing it subconsciously or not, he wasn’t sure. What he did know is that he didn’t like; Harry was used to people staring at him, but they never really noticed things, he doubted the Slytherins were like that. Likely, the snakes observed everything, filing away information for a later time, a time it could be beneficially used.

He continued to read and watch the door until the unmistakable sight of black, billowing robes came into view. The ghost of a smile graced the usually stoic face as he approached Harry, ignoring the looks of disbelieve from his pupils.

“Good evening, Harry, please come with me.” Snape extended his hand to help Harry to his feet and then waited patiently for the boy to collect his belongings.

“Harry will be spending the night in our room, so do not be alarmed when he does not return here tonight. He will join you at breakfast tomorrow morning.”

The group responded in the affirmative, wishing the professor a pleasant evening as Snape and Harry exited the common rooms together. They walked in silence until they reached Severus’ rooms; Harry had not yet begun to think of them as his own.

“I meet your relatives today, Harry. They were truly a delight” Harry looked up to see a sarcastic smile on Snape’s face. The smile quickly faded, though, as Severus moved to sit in the leather chair by the fire. “We had gone with the hope to pick up some belongings, but we found nothing that we believed you would either need or want. If we assumed wrongly or you think of anything from that house you need you will let me know, is that understood?”

Harry nodded, knowing that he wouldn’t want anything from the Dursley’s home, it was all either second hand and destroyed or tainted by bad memories.

“Harry, would you like to press charges against your Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin? Minerva, Poppy, and I will be in full support of you if that is what you wish. We will easily be able to find evidence to have them locked in jail on multiple charges; child abuse, neglect, child endangerment, and most likely a few more.”

“Can I decide later?” Harry asked. He wasn't sure if that was something he wanted. His relatives did take him in when no one else did; _they shouldn’t be punished for not dealing with a little freak_

“Of course, Harry. You can take your time; we locked and persevered your room and the cupboard so your relatives cannot tamper with them. When you make your decision, let me know.”

Severus stared at Harry for a while, his dark eyes searching Harry's face before he continued.

"We do not need to speak of this now, but I want there to be no doubt in your mind; the way they treated you was abuse. I understand they may have conditioned you to believe you deserved it, but they were wrong. If you decided to take them to court, whether it is muggle court or the Wizengamot, they would be found guilty. This is your choice though, I want you to make this decision because it is entirely in your power, do you understand that?"

Harry nodded, working to process the words he had heard. Severus obviously could sense Harry’s need for a changed in conversation, and so he continued to speak as though he had just spoken of something as mundane as the weather.

“Good, now there is something else I believe we should discuss. How would you like to prepare yourself for the Tournament? Unfortunately, though you and I both wish it was not true, you are going to be competing. Therefore, we will need to work to make sure you are prepared for whatever they throw at you.”

“I thought we were not allowed to get help from people?” That was one of the rules, wasn’t it?

“Harry, you are three or four years younger than all the other Champions, you will need every advantage you can get just to stay safe.” Severus leaned forward, so he was closer to Harry, though he did not touch him. “I will do everything I can to keep you safe during this, and to do that, we are going to have to work very hard on your wand work and learning need charms and spells. I propose that twice a week you spend your night in our room and we spend an hour or two training. You may choose the day, but I thing Friday after your year’s study sessions may work well.”

“You really want to help me?” this side of Snape, someone who cared about him, still shocked him at times.

“Yes, Harry. I want to help you very much.” He leaned even further forward to take Harry’s hand in his own. This was when Harry noticed a bruise blossoming over Snape's knuckles.

“What happened to your hand, sir?”

Snape smirked, a devious glee shining in his eyes. “Your Uncle’s jaw collided with my fist, it was very clumsy of him, don’t you think?”


	21. Ready Your Wands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors notes on her 24th Birthday!
> 
> So, I am feeling a little introspective today and I thought I would share my thoughts with you all. I started this fic as a way to sort our my own depression and anxiety. I have been diagnosed with Bi-polar Depression and have not always been great at handling my worst symptoms, mainly my mind-numbing depression and suicidal thoughts. I was terrible at journaling so I thought I would try something else, writing my feelings from Harry's perspective; thus this story was born.  
I have stated before but will put it here again, my life is nothing like Harry's. I have a loving mom and dad and two sisters. I am not abused. However, Harry's anxiety and feelings of worthlessness are very close to my own.  
When you have been dealing with depression and suicide for a while birthdays feel very strange. Each year I have a moment when I think 'This is likely your last, so enjoy it', today it no different. However, there was a spark in my mind to write and share my feelings with you.  
This fic has become my safe space and you all have filled it with joy me for, so thank you. Your comments are kudos have been such a blessing on some bad days and I am so grateful for the support!

> ** _Mr. Potter-Snape,_ **
> 
> **_Please come to the Headmasters office at five o’clock for the Tri-Wizard Tournament’s Weighing of the Wand._ **
> 
> **_Ludo Bagman,_ **
> 
> **_Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports_ **

“So now you’re a slimy snake, and that disgusting git is your dad? After everything your real parents did you are actually living with that arsehole?”

Harry looked up from his letter as he made his way to Severus’ office. There, Ron stood in front of him, towering over him as he usually did. It seemed the Slytherins were right; A Slytherin shouldn’t walk the halls alone.

“Leave me alone, Ron,” Harry said, trying to push past the boy who was once his best friend.

Losing Ron was hard. It hurt; it felt like a hot knife digging into his heart. But he had always known he would lose his friends. He didn’t deserve them anyway; they would realize he was a freak and no longer want to be around him.

“Have you told Snuffles? What do you think he's gonna say now that you’re a disgusting little snake. A liar, a cheat, and a slimy snake. He didn’t risk everything for you to be such a pathetic Godson.”

_He’s right_, Harry thought to himself. _I only just found him but, now my Godfather will hate me and never want to speak to me again. Stupid freak, I should have thought about Siri._ As tears rolled down Harry’s cheek, he knew deep in his heart it wouldn’t have changed anything, he still would have done the adoptions, because being with Snape was safe, and Harry had never known safety before.

The two stood in silence as Harry was unable to form a response. Ron opened his mouth, ready to hurl another insult Harry’s way but stopped his eye’s going wide.

“Weasel, what are you going down here? Come to get an autograph from the Slytherin Champion? Harry, I think you should give it to him. If Weasel sold it, his family might finally have enough money to get him some decent robes.”

Harry turned to see Blaise, Pansy, and Draco making there was down the hall. When they were right by Harry, Pansy and Draco took a position slightly behind him, flanking each of his sides, just as he had seen Crabbe and Goyle do. Blaise stood behind him, towering over him slightly.

“Piss of Malfoy! You’ll see Harry, Snuffle is gonna be disgusted with you, good job losing the little family you had left.”

As Ron turned and walked away, Harry hastily wiped the tears from his face. He knew his new housemates had seen, but he hoped they would ignore the display of emotion; they didn’t seem like the ‘shoulder to cry on’ type people.

“What did we tell you about going out by yourself, Harry?” Blaise said, placing a hand on Harry’s shoulder, “Target practice, luckily Weasley isn’t great with a wand but what if it was an older Gryf with a grudge or a Hufflepuff from Diggory’s year wanting him to be the only Champion. You don’t go out alone!” A hand on his shoulder turned him around and led him back into the dungeons.

“Come on; time to get you to your father.” He felt Pansy link her arm through his while they were walking, he turned to look at the girl confused, but she seemed to think this was the most normal thing.

“You’ll get used to that,” Blaise said from his place on Harry’s other said. “Pansy is very affectionate, she is basically everyone's favorite, annoying sister.” As if to prove his point, the brunette ruffled his hair. Harry couldn’t deny that he liked the attention; it was a bit like how he was with Hermione.

“I assume he was talking about my dear old cousin, Sirius Black?”

Harry turned to Draco, his eyes wide in terror. He knew, what if he told the ministry and go Sirius put back in Azkaban. What is he and Hermione got caught for helping him escape?

“Relax, I know he wasn’t a death eater and was innocent. Remember, my mother was a Black before she was married; Sirius Black was taken out of the family tree for being on Dumbledore’s side. Why do you think no one in Slytherin was worried last year, we knew that the scary killer that had escaped wasn’t scary or a murder.”

Harry breathed a sigh of relief; it made sense that people from families who were on Voldemort's side would know of Siri’s innocents. But, he still didn’t want to talk about his Godfather, the risk was too high. He felt he should ask Severus about contacting him though, he knew that hated each other, but would Severus forbid him from speaking to Sirius?

They brought Harry to Severus’ in silence, leaving him to his thoughts as he made his choice about his Godfather. He would write to him tonight, whether Snape liked it or not, he would not stop talking to Sirius because of something that happened while they were in Hogwarts. If this was the reason Snape decided to get rid of him, well, Harry knew it would happen at some point.

When they finally reached the Potion Masters door, it opened before Harry could lift his hand to knock.

“You're later, Harry.” Before Harry could formulate an answer, Draco took it upon himself to inform his Head of House.

“It isn’t his fault, Uncle. Weasel cornered him on his way to you. He tried to goad him into a fight by bringing up his Godfather, Sirius. He kept saying that Sirius would hate him now because he’s a Slytherin and-”

“Thank you, Draco. I am sure Harry can fill me in on the rest on our way to the Headmaster’s office. Harry, will see you all at dinner.”

The Slytherin’s said their goodbye, Blaise and Draco merely saying it, while Pansy gave Harry a tight hug before walking away with the two boys. Harry noticed as they left, Pansy stood in between them, their arms linked together as they made their way through the Dungeons.

The two Snapes entered the office together and made their way towards the floo. Before stepping in, Severus rested his hand on Harry’s arm, stopping him in his tracks.

“We will discuss Black after the ceremony. However, I think you should write to him tonight. I do not like him, I have made that quite clear, but I will not stop you from speaking to him.”

Harry nodded in agreement, stunned by his guardian's reaction. He had expected anger or insults; the last time the two saw each other, Harry had attacked Snape in favor of his Godfather. But, of course, Snape understood; he had shown these last few days that he always would be.

And so, will a slightly lighter heart, Harry and Severus stepped through the floo to participate in the first ceremony of the Tri-wizard Tournament.

* * *

“Ah, here he is! Champion number four! In you come, Harry, in you come… nothing to worry about… oh, hello Professor, didn’t expect to see you here.”

Ludo Bagman raced toward the floo, in an effort to get close to Harry only to be blocked by Severus. Harry was grateful, Ludo, though kind, was a bit much, always throwing an arm around Harry or patting him on the back too hard.

“My son is the only Champion who is underage; I will not have him around the press without his Guardian present.” He looked pointedly at the blonde woman staring at them from the corner. She wore lime-green stain dress robes that were so bright they seemed blinding, to her side was a quill and notebook that appeared to be writing of their own accord.

“Come now, Severus, everyone is eager to hear about Harry’s journey recently. Rita Skeeter from the Daily Prophet.” She introduced herself, though she gave no time for Harry to do the same “Tell me, Harry, what made you decide to enter the Tournament?

“I didn’t-”

“Harry will not be answering any of your questions, Rita. He is underage, and as his legal and biological Guardian, I have the right to decided if the press is allowed to write about him. If I see you have written anything besides what transpires during the Weighing, you will have a lawsuit on your hands.”

Severus turned to Harry; the small boy noticed that most in the room had turned their eyes to watch the exchange take place. “Harry, do not go anywhere alone with this woman. If she has ever written anything truthful, it has been by accident.” Severus smirked down at him, letting him in on the joke. Harry couldn't repress the small child-like giggle that crossed his lips. Severus turned back to Skeeter “I am sure any of the adult champions who willingly entered the tournament would be happy to speak with you. Though I would caution them against it, they are of age and can do as they wish.”

The blonde looked as if she was going to dispute this claim when Dumbledore entered the room, followed by Ollivander.

“May I introduce Mr. Ollivander? He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are in good condition before the tournament.”

Ollivander stood quietly by the window, pale eyes staring out at the field and forest, before turning to address the champions.

“Mademoiselle Delacour, could we have you first, please?”

Fleur swept over to Ollivander and handed him her wand

“Hmmm…” He said, “yes, nine and a half inches… inflexible…rosewood… and containing…dear me.”

“An ‘air from ze ‘ead of a veela,” said Fleur proudly. “One of my grandmuzzer’s”

_Of course, she’s part veela, that’s why every guy is going crazy over here… but then why aren’t I?_ He thought that she was gorgeous, there was no denying that, but he had seen some of the boys walk into walls because they were so distracted by her. _It’s because you’re a freak, different from everyone else. Freaky little faggot boy._

“Yes, I’ve never used Veela hair myself, of course. I find it makes for rather temperamental wands… however, to each their own and if this suits you…”

Ollivander ran his fingers along the wand, apparently checking for scratches or bumps; then, he muttered “Orchideous,” and a bouquet of flowers burst from the tip of the wand. He handed them to the blonde beauty and continued on.

“Mr. Diggory, you next.” The Hufflepuff moved forward and presented his wand. “Ah, now, this is one of mine, isn’t it? Yes, I remember it well. Containing the single hair from the tail of a particularly fine male unicorn… must have been seventeen hands; nearly gored me with his horn after I plucked his tail. Twelve and a quarter inches… ash… pleasantly springy. It’s in fine condition… you treat it regularly?”

“Polished it last night,” said Cedric, grinning.

Harry looked at his own wand and noticed fingerprints and smudge as over the wood. He gathered up the corner of his robes to try and remove some of the marks when a hand settled on his arms. Severus extended his hand to take the wand, which Harry quickly handed over. Snape tapped Harry’s wand with his own and then handed it back, clean as the day he bought it. Harry smiled up at his guardian in thanks and continued watching the weighing.

By the time he looked up, he had missed the end of Cedric and Victor Krum was already having his wand inspected.

“Hmm, this is a Gregorovitch creation, unless I am much mistaken? A fine wand-maker, though the styling is never quite what I… however…Yes… Hornbeam and dragon heartstring. Rather thicker than one usually sees… Quite rigid… ten and a quarter inches… Avis!”

Harry jumped and grasped his father's arm in fright when the blast of a gun erupted from the wand, and several small, twittering birds flew out and through the opened window. The sound scared him so much, he did not even realize this was the first moment he thought of the Potions Master as his father.

“Good, which leaves…? Mr. Potter-Snape.”

Harry stepped away from Severus and handed his wand to the older wizard.

“Aaaah, yes. Yes, how well I remember, such a curious wand… very curious.”

Harry turned around to look at Snape, hoping for the easy smile he reserved just for him, to calm him, but found that the professor's eyes were locked on the blonde reporter in the corner. He knew it was best that Snape concentrates on the reporter, he felt uneasy under her bug-eyes stare, but he couldn’t help but wish that he had Severus’ undivided attention.

In the end, Ollivander spent longer on Harry’s wand than the other champions. After a while, a fountain of wine shot out of the tip of the wand and was handed back to Harry.

After the weighing was completed, the champions had to have their pictures taken. First group shots, then individuals, then one of Dumbledore with Cedric and Harry, and so one and so forth. Through the photos, too many in Harry’s opinion, Severus stood to the side, standing in silent support of Harry, there if for any reason Harry needed him. Harry had never felt so protected.

At last, they were free. The other three champions stood around speaking to each other, Harry, however, made a beeline to Snape, desperate for his escape. It seemed that Severus understood and immediately turned to leave the office and head to the Great Hall.

“I do not wish to worry your friends, or else I would say we should have dinner in our rooms. However, if you do not have pudding with dinner, you can have it with me tonight. We will discuss your Godfather over… am I correct in thinking treacle tarts are your favorite?”

Harry nodded, pleasantly surprised that Snape had taken notice of his favorite dessert.

“Well, as long as you eat all your food, then I see no problem with having a treat tonight. Now go sit, I’ll meet you after dinner, and we can walk to our rooms together.”

* * *

Dinner seemed to move at a glacial pace, Harry ate quickly, but it seemed Severus was in no such rush. He looked up to the high table multiple times, hoping to catch Snape’s eye, but he was always looking in the other direction, either speaking to another professor or looking down at his plate. His classmates tried to bring him into their conversations; Pansy was going on her usual tirade about how much better Harry looked in Slytherin colors, Draco trying to get information about the Weighing of the Wands, and Blaise just telling him about classes. But, Harry took no interest; the only thing on his mind was Sirius.

He had only known the man a short while, but he was all he had left of James Potter; Sirius and Remus were his best friends, how else was he going to know his father?

_Snape’s your father now… you said so yourself… he’ll make you choose… what is a little freak to do?_

Snape wouldn’t make him choose, he told the voice in his head, though he did not sound very confident as he thought this. He turned once more to the staff table to see that Severus, much to Harry’s relief, was walking towards the Slytherin table.

“Good evening Slytherins. Harry, are you done eating?” Snape asked.

“Yes sir, Goodnight, guys!” Harry bid his classmates, getting up from the bench to leave the Great Hall with Severus Snape, one of his two fathers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are a lot of direct quotes in this chapter; all that work comes from J.K. Rowling, not me!
> 
> We can all agree that wands are just penises, right? This whole chapter was very phallic


	22. A Sirius Discussion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the love, support and birthday wished!

The two sat in silence for a while, drinking their tea and eating treacle tarts. Severus honestly didn’t know how to start; he would not lie to the boy, he had been lied to so many times in his life already, but he also couldn’t be too honest. He hated Black, that much would always be true, but he could co-exist for Harry’s sake. The wolf was tolerable, so hopefully, Lupin could keep a hold on how his mate behaved, and so Severus had a plan.

“Harry, I plan to send a letter to Lupin, letting him know that I have adopted you and how he can contact you. I am under the impression that he and Black are living together so I would suggest you write to Black, I doubt he would be glad to receive word from me. Lupin, however, I speak to once a month when I send him his Wolfsbane potion.”

“You still send him his potions?”

“Yes, Harry. I will continue to send Lupin his potions until the time comes he asks me not to anymore. When I write to him, I am either going to need to explain how you came into my care, or you will need to include something in your letter to Black? I am sure that Black shares everything with his mate, and vice versa, so whatever we write, I want to make sure you are comfortable sharing with both men.”

“Why are they living together? I thought Siri was on the run?”

_Does the boy not know about anything in his Godfather’s life? Is Black keeping his relationship a secret? _“You should ask that in your letter or when you see them, I just know from Dumbledore that the two are together.” Severus stood to gather parchment and quills, handed some to Harry, then returned to his chair. Together they sat in silence writing.

Severus felt at a loss for words; he was not going to pour his heart out about his feeling about Harry. He wouldn’t allow the Wolf and Mutt an insight into his relationship with his <strike>son, </strike>_Ward, dammit Severus!_ But, he needed to let them know that Harry was safe with him, he knew if they were not placated, they would take their frustration out on his boy.

So he wrote, writing as much as he could without being overly sentimental. He knew he needed to live with these men in his life, he would not force Harry to choose, but he could still be an arse to them, that wasn’t against the rules. So he enjoyed threatening them a little and calling them ‘mutt’ and ‘wolf,’ but did stay on topic and invited them to see Harry. Finally, Severus finished his letter to Lupin and looked up to see Harry had fallen asleep on the couch, his letter sitting on the coffee table finished.

> _ **Dear Sirius,** _
> 
> _**I don’t know if you heard, but the Tri-wizard tournament is happening this year, and I got picked to be the fourth champion… even though its ‘tri,’ which means three… and I didn’t enter. I don’t know who put my name in the Goblet of Fire, but it wasn’t me. Also, I got adopted by Severus Snape, so my name is now Harry James Potter-Snape. Because of the adoption, I was moved into Slytherin, it’s an old law about being in the house your parent is the head of, I actually like it a lot.** _
> 
> _**I understand if you don’t want to talk to me anymore, but I hope you do because I love you, Siri.** _
> 
> _ **Please don’t hate me.** _
> 
> _ **Harry** _

His heart broke; how could Harry think his Godfather could ever hate him. For all the terrible things Black was, Severus knew one thing; Sirius Black adored Harry, he had since the moment he laid eyes on him.

He would work past his hatred for the bully of his childhood; he would do this all for the sweet little boy on the couch. Severus bent over Harry and swept him off the couch and into his arm, walking towards his bedroom to tuck him in, hoping for a restful night of sweet dreams.

* * *

Freedom filled his senses; it felt like warmth, like soft yet scared skinned. Freedom smelled like hot coffee and homemade pancakes in the morning. But mostly, freedom sounded like the sweet snoring from Remus Lupin, as Sirius snuggled into him, his head pillowed on his chest as he woke from a beautiful dream.

But, freedom still left a stale taste in his mouth, like a missing spice or ingredient in his life. It was obvious what was missing; the room next to his and Remus’ should be filled with the child, a green-eyed, inquisitive child. He had been heartbroken not being able to take Harry with him, he had wanted to be there for his Godson, but it wasn’t possible, not yet at least.

The sun streamed in through the window of the small shack the two had been hiding away in, Britain wasn’t safe for the suspected criminal and werewolf, so the pair had come to the tropics, using the pleasant location to relax and reconnect.

Sirius looked down at the sandy-haired man next to him, still amazed by his beauty. Remus had always been ashamed of his looks, mostly because his entire body was covered in scars, but Sirius had seen them as a testament of his strength, and couldn’t think of anything more beautiful.

Tapping on the window brought Sirius from his musing, it had been a while since he had received a letter from Harry, but racing to the window expecting a school owl, he was instead meet with a fierce black eagle owl with two scrolls attached to its one leg and a shrunken box on the other.

“Harry?”

Sirius turned to see his mate had awakened and was propped up by pillows, leaning back on the headboard. Sirius extracted both letters from the bird and was about to give him a treat when the bird flew out the window, leaving without a reply.

“No, wait…maybe, the one for me is, but this one is for you from Snivellus.” He looked at the handwriting of his Godson, excited to hear about his first week back at school. But, why was his note with Snape’s? He opened the letter and was met with an answer, one he had never expected.

It took multiple times reading for him to fully digest what Harry was saying, he was not a ‘Snape’? That made no sense, Harry hated Snivellus, and he hated Harry.

Sirius turned to Remus expected to have to break this news to his partner but was met with a teary-eyed man, looking as bewildered and confused as Sirius felt.

“What did he say? Did he threaten you? Threaten Harry? I’ll kill him, no one hurts my pup!”

“Sirius, calm down and just read it.” Remus handed the note to Sirius and leaned back on the pillows, looking at the ceiling.

> _ **Remus Lupin,** _
> 
> _**Along with your monthly dose of Wolfsbane, I have some news to share. The Tri-Wizard Tournament has come to Hogwarts, and as I am sure you will find unsurprising, Harry has been entered without his consent has been forced to compete. I cannot share too many details, but the Tournament has also brought to light some truths about Harry’s upbringing that were less than satisfactory. After a falling out with the Gryffindors in his year Harry was exiled from his dorm and stayed overnight in a broom closet, I found him and brought him to the hospital wing where Poppy performed a full medical scan on him dating back to his birth.** _
> 
> _**His relatives were physically abusing Harry. From the time he was sent to them after Lily and Potter’s death, he was underfed, mistreated, harmed, and humiliated. Know he will never be returning and Harry has not made a decision yet as to if he will press charges,** _
> 
> _**After a discussion with the Headmaster, Minerva, and Poppy, I asked Harry if he would like to be adopted by me, he consented to a blood adoption with me and is now my legal and biological son. I understand you and the mutt will have issues with this, but if you dare to lay your distress at Harry’s feet, you will live to regret it, he has enough to deal with.** _
> 
> _ **He wants you both in his life, especially Black. Therefore I will extend a peace offering; come to the castle, I am positive Dumbledore will be able to get you both in undetected, and see Harry. He will share with you what he is able, what he doesn’t wish to say is his business and should be respected, do not push him past what he can handle.** _
> 
> _ **I will await your owl with some acceptable dates and times,** _
> 
> _**Severus Snape** _
> 
> _ **Potions Master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry** _

Sirius moved to sit beside Remus, both their eyes filled with tears of sadness and rage.

“They hurt my cub, and I didn’t even know. I saw him last year, I should have known, he was right there, and I did nothing while someone was hurting my cub.” Remus’ voice was closer to a growl, the wolf in him very present and feeling the need to attack and protect his young.

Sirius felt very much the same, memories of the first day he had met the little Pronglet, his pup. He couldn’t fathom how anyone could hurt his little one, but they obviously had. Snivellus was many things, but he wasn’t a liar. _Merlin, am I going to have to get alone with greasy, old Snivellus now? Fucking hell,_ Sirius couldn’t help but think, but he knew deep down he was thankful for the snake if it meant that his pup was safe.

“Pack your things love; we need to go see Harry now.”


	23. Defeated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my loves! So, fun news! I got a Tumblr! lol As always I will reply to all comments here but if you have any questions or want to share art or something with me you can do it [ Here ](https://acaciaraff96.tumblr.com/)

One week until the first task and Snape was a wreck, though, of course, he did not show it. Severus had been teaching Harry new defensive spells, but it meant nothing if he didn’t know what he was up against. He could tell Harry was just as worried as he was, so he needed to put on a brave face for his son, be encouraging and supportive.

“I can’t do it, I’m not ready; people have died in this tournament.” Harry had said this on multiple occasions, each time sounding more defeated than the last.

“Harry, First Year, did you know what would be guarding the Philosopher's Stone?” Severus was sitting in his leather chair by the fire as the two enjoyed breakfast; it had become their Sunday morning tradition to each breakfast together before training.

“No, but I had help. Hagrid told us how to deal with Fluffy, Hermione knew how to handle the Devil’s Snare, Ron did the wizard chess, Hermione did your riddle. All I did was fly and yell at Quirrell. It's just like you said; I have no extraordinary powers; people just think I do. I’m fourteen; I barely know how to do basic charms.”

“So, having help negates the fact that as an eleven-year-old, you had the mental strength to come face to face with the Dark Lord? I do not think it does, but if that is such a problem, tell me about your second year? I heard that you faced him once more and saved Miss Weasley. Though I will be honest, I do not have all the details. Did you receive help?”

It was a bit sly of him, but he wanted details on if Slytherin’s chamber truly did exist. He also wanted to prove to his son that he could handle what was to come in the tournament, but if he could do both at the same time, all the better.

“Yes, Hermione was the one who figured out that the creature in the chamber was a Basilisk, even petrified she was smarter than me. Ron came down with me when I opened the chamber, and Fawkes blinded the Basilisk and gave me the sorting hat so I could get the Sword of Gryffindor. Then when I have that fang stuck in my arm, Fawkes cried and healed me. See, I can’t do anything by myself, I am worthless without other people there to save my arse!”

“Language!” Severus didn’t actually mind the minor swearing but felt it was his duty to say this. He was reeling over what Harry had said. How could he not see how brave and accomplished he was; at twelve, the boy slew a Basilisk, never mind that the creature was blinded, it was still a deadly thing. “Harry, do you hear yourself? You were a child when you did this, you defeated a powerful dark creature as a child and lived, not because a bird blinded it and gave you a sword but because you were brave enough to try. Stupid, but brave.” He wanted to add that he would not allow any more Gryffindor stupidity from Harry, but his past acts did need to be commended. “I understand that you may not feel this way, but you are more prepared than most of the other Champions, who have all most likely never faced anything more frightening or deadly than a pixie. I need you to be Gryffindor and Slytherin to get through this; be brave and cunning, resourceful, and courageous. You need the best of both of the traits of your house, which you have in you.”

Praising Harry had become second nature to Severus; he saw in Harry the same need to approval that had plagued his youth, he, however, had never gotten the praise he had carved from the adults in his life, he would not allow Harry to feel inadequate in that way. Sure, Harry had been congratulated, but often for the things in his life that haunted him, surviving the killing curse when his parents hadn’t, for example. But, it seemed like people had not taken the time just to tell the child that he was a good person, or had done well in school. Well, no more!

The two continued their breakfast in silence, though Harry’s cheeks never lost the rosy color that had heated his face. After some research, Severus had found a muggle milk-shake that was supposed to be good for underweight children, it was usually given to small children, but nutritionists in the muggle world did recommend it for older children too, Severus just wouldn’t tell Harry that. The boy seemed to like them, why wouldn’t he, it was chocolate, so he made sure everyone morning he had one. The milkshake, along with eggs, vegetables, full-fat yogurt, and some form of fruit, usually made up Harry’s breakfast. Severus was happy to see his boy had gained a good amount of weight, he was still far too thin, but by Christmas, he would likely need some new clothing. Severus was looking forward to it, he had already started to think of Christmas presents.

The sound of a crack alerted Severus to Winnie’s arrival,

“Morning Master Severus, Little Master. You is both having letters delivered.” The small elf walked over to the two men and handed them each an envelope.

Looking down at the familiar writing of Albus Dumbledore, Severus had to use every bit of self-control not to grimace. He had known Dumbledore would need to get involved with Black and Lupin seeing Harry, but he was still furious with the old coot for how he treated his son.

> _ **Severus,** _
> 
> _**Sirius and Remus will be arriving at four o’clock tomorrow morning, I will bring them to your quarters. I know you do not have a morning class, and Harry’s first class, Transfiguration, is not until eight-thirty o’clock. When you are done speaking, send a Patronus, and I will come to get them.** _
> 
> _**Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore,** _
> 
> _ ** Order of Merlin First Class** _
> 
> _ **Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry** _
> 
> _ **Grand Sorcerer, Supreme Mugwump, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot** _

“I’m assuming Black wrote to you?” Severus asked. He did not know the mutts handwriting, but he guessed it would match the messy script he could see from across the room. He was not looking forward to tomorrow morning, but he knew it was for the best. _You are being a good father, it doesn’t matter what you think about the mutt, it isn’t about you!_

“No, it’s from Hagrid…” Severus saw the inner turmoil in Harry’s face; obviously, there was something he wanted to share or ask for, but he was not sure he could.

“The worst thing I can do is say ‘no.’ You will not know how I will respond until you ask.”

He watched the young boy take a very deep breath to calm himself. Severus’ heart swelled with pride, seeing his son used the coping mechanisms he had taught him.

“Hagrid asked me to come and meet him at mid-night tonight. He said to bring the invisibility cloak. I don’t know why, but I think I should go.”

_What could Hagrid need at mid-night?_ The answer hit him quite quickly; Hagrid knew something about the first task and was willing to break the rules to help Harry.

“You may go. However, Lupin and Black will be here at four in the morning, so you will take a nap today. I will not have you falling asleep in your classes. You will also dress appropriately, multiple layers, it gets chilly at night.” _Dear Merlin, you sound like Molly Weasley_. However, it did remind him that he needed to get Harry a thick winter cloak as well as a muggle winter coat. He had owl ordered clothing for the boy the day after the adoption, Harry had been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of new clothing he possessed. Maybe Severus went a little overboard, but his only point of reference was his Godson, and Draco rarely wore the same thing twice.

Being a mother hen was worth it, though, because he could see the light in his boy’s eyes, a light that showed how much he adored being taken care of, because no one had treated him that way before.

“Now, finish your breakfast so we can move forward with your training. I thought we could work on some more advanced jinxes as well as their counters-jinxes. Soon we will be doing non-verbal spells, so we need to master these first.”

* * *

At eleven forty-five, Harry donned his invisibility cloak, said goodbye to Severus, and made his way to Hagrid’s hut. He had a suspicion this had to do with the first task, why else would Hagrid need him at this last hour. However, that did nothing to settle his stomach. If Hagrid was involved, that meant he would be dealing with a fearsome magical creature, memories of the Basilisk flashed before making his blood run cold.

Leaving the castles and walking across the lawn to Hagrid’s, Harry tried to throw the images of a giant snake from his mind. Dumbledore and the other School Heads would not allow children to fight such a dangerous creature, that would be ridiculous.

With his mind settled, Harry knocked on the door of the cabin, waiting patiently for Hagrid to let him in.

“You there, Harry?” Hagrid whispered, opening the door and looking around. It seemed as if he may be looking for someone else as well.

“Yeah, what’s up?” he replied, slipping past Hagrid into the warm cabin and slipping his cloak off.

“Got summat ter show yeh,” the giant said, an air of excitement in his voice. The man was wearing a flower that looked like an oversized artichoke in his buttonhole, and had obviously tried to comb through his hair, as Harry could see broken teeth from the comb still in his hair.

“Come with me, keep quiet, an’ keep yerself covered with the cloak,” Hagrid said, practically bouncing up and down with excitement.

“Hagrid, what-?”

“Shhh!” he said, leaving the cabin and walking to the carriages by the edge of the forest, the carriages that house the students from Beaxbatons.

“Ah, ‘Agrid… I had thought you had… forgotten me… it is time?” Madame Maxime said in her heavy accent.

“Bong-sewer, I could never forget you, Olympe.”

_Was Hagrid on a date? Is that what he’s showing me? Or is he showing me Madame Maxime…? I could see her any day. Was I going to have to fight her? I can’t fight a girl!_ Harry followed the tall pair walking into the forest. Completely lost in his own thoughts, he paid no mind to the conversation his two companions were having, that was until he heard the sound of men shouting in the distance.

A deafening, earsplitting roar and a burst of light almost brought Harry to his knees; _Dragons…they are making me fight a dragon._

Four fully grown, enormous, vicious-looking dragons were rearing onto their hind legs inside an enclosed fence. At least thirty wizards were attempting to control them, pulling on the chains connected to heavy leather straps around their necks and legs.

“Keep back there, Hagrid!” yelled a wizard near the fence, “They can shoot fire at a range of twenty feet! I’ve seen this Horntail do forty.”

Harry stared at the dragons before him, each more frightening than the last. He couldn’t help but wonder why this was his life. He had just found something good, and it was likely to be taken from him by these creatures. People had died in this Tournament, and at that moment, Harry was sure he would be joining them. For the first time in his life, he didn’t want to die; in the past, he hadn’t cared. If he died saving Ginny, it would have been worth it, Ginny’s life meant more than his. But now, with Severus, he had something to truly live for.

“All right there, Hagrid?” The trainer from before came running up to the group, his red hair glowing in the firelight. It did not take long for Harry to realize that the man was Charlie Weasley.

“What breed yeh got there, Charlie?” Hagrid asked, gazing at the dragons with admiration. Harry knew he missed Norbert, but these dragons were terrifying in comparison, and Norbert was still quite scary at times.

“This is a Hungarian Horntail,” Charlie said, gesturing to the dragon closest to them. Black scaled, with large, sharp horns on its back. This dragon looked like the monsters from muggle movies. As Charlie spoke about it, yellow, beady, lizard-like eyes turned to Harry, as if the creature could see Harry under his invisibility cloak.

“There’s a Common Welsh Green-back over there, the smaller one – A Swedish Short-Snout, that blue-grey one – and a Chinese Fireball, that’s the red one.”

Harry stood still as Madame Maxime moved closer to the cages. Ones the Headmistress was further way, Charlie moved next to Hagrid.

“I didn’t know you were bringing her. Hagrid, the champions aren’t supposed to know what’s coming – she’s bound to tell her student.” Charlie turned to Hagrid, a frown on his face.

“Jus’ thought she’s like ter see ‘em” Hagrid replied with a shrug

“Really romantic date, Hagrid,” the ginger said, shaking his head in disbelief. Harry couldn’t help but agree, dragons aren’t exactly romantic… well maybe to Hagrid they are.

With a noticeable blush on his cheeks, Hagrid quickly changed the subject. “Four dragons… so it’s one fer each champion? What’ve they gotta do – fight ‘em?”

_Please say no!_

“Just get past them, I think.” Charlie looked distracted as he spoke, “We’ll be on hand if it gets nasty, Extinguishing Spells at the ready. They wanted nesting mothers…, I don’t know why. But, I’ll tell you this, I don’t envy the one who gets the Horntail. Vicious things- its back end is as deadly as its front.”

_Well, little freak. I guess you should get ready to take on the Horntail, or at least get prepared to be killed by it._ Harry couldn’t help but agree with the voice in his mind, how was he supposed to do this?

“How’s Harry?”

“Fine.” Hagrid looked straight ahead at the Horntail, a slightly guilty look in his eyes

“I just hope he’s still fine after he faces this lot.” Charlie looked grimly out at the cages. “I don’t dare tell Mum what he’s got to do for the first task; she’s already having kittens about him…” Charlie turned to Hagrid, and imitating his mother’s anxious voice said, “How could they let him compete, he’s much too young! I thought they were safe, what about the age line?!” He laughed humorlessly. “She’s ready to throttle Ron, says he's being a terrible friend, but knowing Ron, he’ll just be worse now that Harry’s in Slytherin with Snape.”

Harry had had enough at that point. He did not want to see the dragons or hear more about Ron. He wanted to hide in his room, hide from people, and dragons, and expectations. He did not want to be brave, cunning, or ambitions; he just wanted to be Harry.

As he walked away, he passed Karkaroff sneaking passed him to look at the dragons. He could hear the older man arguing with Madame Maxime, but he didn’t care enough to pay attention to the words, his only goal was to get away.

Once he could no longer hear the roars of dragons, Harry sat down on the forest floor, his heart beating fast in his chest as he came to grips with his reality. He was ‘The Boy Who Lived,’ it didn’t matter if he didn’t want to, he had to be brave. He had no choice; he never had.

Harry sat in silence for a while, enjoying the feeling of the forest floor underneath him. After what felt like five minutes, he got up and made his way back to his and Severus’ quarters. He had no idea that it was past two in the morning.


	24. An Extended Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All quotes are from [ This PDF ](https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/parenting_CAN.pdf) from the Child Welfare website.

> _While child abuse and neglect can leave physical and emotional scars, it can also cause trauma and toxic stress. Trauma occurs when someone directly experiences injury or threat of injury or witnesses an event that threatens or causes serious harm to themselves or a loved one. According to the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, toxic stress can occur when a child lacks a supportive parent or other adult and experiences strong, frequent, or ongoing adversity, such as physical or emotional abuse, chronic neglect, caregiver substance use or mental illness, or exposure to violence Responses to trauma experienced by children and youth may vary; some children may be reluctant to trust, some may act out, and some may withdraw from family and friends._

Severus used the time while Harry was with Hagrid to do some more research into childhood psychology. He had been looking into medical journals from the United Kingdom as well as America in hopes of gathering as much information as possible.

> _When children have experienced trauma, particularly multiple traumatic events over an extended period of time, their bodies, brains, and nervous systems adapt in an effort to protect them. This might result in behaviors such as increased aggression, distrusting or disobeying adults, or even dissociation (feeling disconnected from reality). When children are in danger, these behaviors may be important for their survival. However, once children are moved to a safer environment, their brains and bodies may not recognize that the danger has passed._

Each thing he read would help him, he continued to tell himself. He knew that he was just winging it, he was not great at being supportive, but information and knowledge, that was his strength. He could learn everything he needed to; every coping mechanism, trick, tip, exercise. And so he sat reading Psychology Today, waiting for Harry to return.

At one o’clock, Severus began to feel nervous, but Harry would be back soon. At one-thirty, he started pacing, wondering if he should go out after Harry. _No, Hagrid would not let anything happen to Harry… or he would immediately contact me if something did._

When the clock struck two o’clock, Severus was on the verge of a breakdown. He was grabbing his cloak, ready to head out into the forest when the boy finally made an appearance. Relief and anger filled Severus as he had never felt before. He was moments from shouting at Harry when he looked into his eyes and saw that the usually vibrant green was dull and glassy, as though he was not truly present.

He took in the full appearance of the child in front of him; his nose was red and runny from the cold, eye bloodshot and puffy. His pants looked wet and dirty like he’d been sitting in the mud, and likely he had because there was dirt under his fingernails.

“Harry?” the child didn’t look up; he continued to look forward as if he couldn’t hear his name being said. Severus placed his hand under Harry’s chin and lifted it, gently forcing eye contact between the two. “Harry, would you like to talk now or after a shower?”

The boy paused, taking in the question. Severus had a feeling he wasn’t ready to talk but wanted him to know that he would need to either now or later.

A shiver ran up the child’s spine, “after?”

“Alright, go take a shower, and I will have a warm drink for when you are done.” Severus watched as Harry turned into his room. He did not return to his seat until he heard the water running in the shower.

He was at a loss, he knew this was unacceptable behavior; he should not have stayed out so late. However, he had come back in such a state that Severus was worried about disciplining him. _What could have caused such a panic in a boy who has faced so much?_ He shuddered at the thought; remember what he had read about triggers recently he was prepared for a deep-dive into Harry’s abuse. _But, he was with Hagrid; could something in the tournament have reminded him of his relatives or the Dark Lord?_

“Winnie?” the tiny elf appeared by Severus' right arm. “I am so sorry if I woke you up, but can I have my coffee, and can one of Harry’s chocolate milk-things be heated?” He hoped so, might as well use this opportunity to get some protein and calories into his system. “If not, then just a regular hot chocolate. We will also be having guests in about an hour, so we will need tea for four… possibly five.” He added wondering if Dumbledore would be coming

“Of course Master Severus, will you and Little Master be having breakfast here? Is you wanting something for your guests?”

Winnie was always trying to get Severus to be more courteous to his guests when he took meetings. It was only because of her that he asked for the tea, she had insisted that it was in poor taste for him to not offer people something.

“I will ask them when they arrive,” he begrudgingly said. He did not want to give the Mutt or Wolf anything, but he would play nice, he would be the bigger person… though he had thought about serving breakfast to Black in a dog bowl.

Winnie nodded, apparently satisfied with his answer, before popping away. Now Severus could focus on the matter at hand, how do you discipline someone who has gone through so much pain? He knew Harry had likely not stayed out as an act of rebellion or to misbehave, it wouldn’t make sense, but he had also read that structure, rules, and boundaries would help Harry thrive. He would obviously never physically punish Harry, nor would he withhold food… maybe line would work, that usually worked in detention?

Moments later, Winnie reappeared with Severus’ French press and a steaming mug of hot chocolate for Harry. “The bottle of Little Masters chocolate drink says it can be warmed, so he can still have his special drink.” Winnie also placed a tea set with four cups, a teapot, and some scones on the table under a stasis charm. She then smiled up at him before popping away once more, leaving her master to his morning coffee.

Severus nodded at the empty space where the elf once was, sipping on his morning brew before Harry joined him. Lines seemed like an acceptable punishment, possibly some cauldron cleaning if his explanation wasn’t good. Something along the lines of ‘I will not stay out too late and give my father a heart attack…’ seeing as he was not referring to himself as Harry’s father anywhere but in his head, this was not the exact phrasing, but it was a good starting point.

Harry stepped out of his room, dresses in a pair of grey sweatpants and a blue tee-shirt, his hair dripping onto the towel he had wrapped around his shoulders. Severus beckoned the boy over to him and withdrew his wand. “Comae sicco,” he said, pointing his wand at the long black hair and watching it dye and smooth itself to fall neatly around his face.

“Now, would you like to explain to me what happened?” he said, passing Harry his hot chocolate.

“I have to fight a dragon.”

Severus looked at his son as he spoke. He looked terrified and broken like he had already admitted defeat.

“There are four dragons in the forbidden forest, big ones, one for each of us, and Charlie said he thinks we just have to get passed the dragons, but that still not good. And he said one of them was the worst, so I’ll probably get that one.” He could see Harry was working himself up into a panic; his breathing became shallow and hurried as he spoke at a rapid speed. “After I saw them, I walked away and just sat on the ground, and I didn’t know how long I was there, I didn’t think it was that long, but it was, and I’m sorry you had to wait up for me!”

“Harry, practice your breathing… in… and out… good, and again. In… and out…” He continued his chanting and praise while he thought of what Harry had said. Dragons, they were going to make four children, Severus did not count the seventeen-year-old students as ‘adults’ just because the ministry says they are, face fully grown dragons? He was once again shocked with the idiocy of this tournament; _if the ministry wanted international magical cooperation, they could have a bloody dance, not sacrifice children to wild creatures for sport, this isn’t the ancient Rome!_

When Harry’s breathing returned to normal, Severus took this as his cue that he could begin speaking. It was time to see if his reading had paid off.

“Harry, I am not angry. I understand that seeing those creatures must have been terrifying, and you lost track of time. But, I was incredibly worried about you when you did not return at a reasonable hour. Part of this is my fault; I should have set a time limit and given you a watch. I also will be looking into a way for us to communicate if you are late in the future. However, you should not have walked away from Hagrid, especially not in the forbidden forest. As a punishment, you are going to be doing some lines for me during your free period after lunch. The rest of the week, after classes, and once you have completed your homework, we will do lessons to prepare you for this dragon. However, right now, we must prepare ourselves for our guests. Your Dog-father and Lupin should be here any minute.”

As if on cue, there was a knock on Severus’ door and a pulsing of magic that could only belong to Albus Dumbledore. Disinclined to make himself uncomfortable, Severus waved his wand to open the door, remaining in his seat.

Severus did turn to watch Harry move towards the door, only to be tackled by an enormous black dog.

“Siri, stop!” Harry giggled as the dog licked his cheeks. “Come on! That’s gross!”

Finally, the dog removed himself from Harry and allowed the boy to stand. In the dog's place stood Sirius Black. It took everything in him for Severus to swallow down the insults that leaped into his mouth. Pure hatred for this man simmered in him, but he could ignore it for Harry. If he could look the Dark Lord in the eye, he could handle Sirius Black.

“Hey pup, I’ve missed you, kid.” The man said, wrapping his arms around Harry. Severus noticed that Black’s eyes kept darting over to him, though instead of hatred, he saw fear and uncertainty.

“Severus, I trust you’ve been well?” Lupin said, extending his hand to the Potion Master. He also had a glimmer of trepidation in his eyes

“Quite well, Harry come sit down, your hot chocolate is getting cold, and warming charms will ruin the taste.”

Harry immediately took his seat on the couch, ignoring the surprised looks on the older Gryffindors faces. Severus didn’t know if they were shocked that Harry listened or that Snape was mothering the boy about his hot chocolate. _Aren’t you a fearsome thing, Severus Snape?_

Lupin sat in the armchair opposite Severus, and Black sat down on the couch beside Harry. All four sat in silence, nervously drinking their beverages, waiting for someone to speak first. It was not his place to talk for Harry, he would not share the details of his abuse with people who did not need to know, but he also knew that Harry would not be able to start this conversation. With that thought, he went back to remember what he had read earlier;_ Encourage (don’t force) children to talk about their feelings. Tell children it is normal to have many feelings after a trauma. Listen to their stories, take their reactions seriously, correct any misinformation about the traumatic event, and reassure them that what happened was not their fault._

“Harry, your Godfather, and Lupin are only here because they are worried about you; they care for you very much.” Severus did his best to sound calm and reassuring, but the shocked expressions on the two men's faces almost had him sneering. He hated this, but it had to be done. “I cannot tell them everything, it is entirely up to you what you wish to share with them today. I can fill in some blanks and offer you support, but you need to take charge of this conversation, right, Harry?”

_Nailed it!_

Harry nodded in understanding, and Severus swelled with pride. He knew making decisions or taking charge in his situation would be hard for Harry; he was so used to people making decisions for him. He watched as Harry turned to face his Uncles before looking down at his hands and taking a deep breath.

“The Dursley’s hated magic, and because of that, they hated me. They hurt me because of magic, because I was a freak, doing abnormal things. I don’t want to say anything else about it, though.”

Both the Gryffindors looked at Severus for confirmation before Black spoke. “It’s ok, pup, you don’t have to tell us everything. We’re here to listen whenever you need us. We are both so proud of you, always.”

Harry nodded, possibly relieved at his Godfather’s reaction. Severus was impressed by his calm manner, likely he and Lupin spent time preparing for this. Harry took a steady but shaky breath and continued.

“After my name came out of the Goblet and I was told I had to compete, I went to the tower, and Ron was throwing my things out of my trunk. He didn’t believe me and told me that he hated me and he wanted me to leave, everyone wanted me to leave!”

_Listen to their stories, take their reactions seriously, correct any misinformation about the traumatic event_

“Harry, not everyone. Remember that Mr. Longbottom ran after you and came to Professor McGonagall and me worried about your safety, Miss Granger ran across the Great Hall at dinner to hug you because she missed you so much, and the Weasley Twins…showed their love for you in their own way.” He said with a chuckle. Harry snickered as well.

“Okay, not everyone, you’re right.” Severus saw the boy smile at the reminder that he still had allies in his old house. “But, it felt like everyone that night, so I ran out of the dorms and stayed in an abandoned classroom cupboard overnight and through the next day, that’s where Severus found me.”

Sirius rested his hand on Harry’s thigh, drawing the boy’s eyes and attention to the old man's face. “Harry, why didn’t you go to Professor McGonagall if your housemates were being so cruel?” It took every bit of self-control for Severus to not laugh; if anyone knew about being cruel, it was the bully that was Sirius Black. “You could have spoken to her or Dumbledore, why didn’t you?”

Severus jumped in when he saw Harry tense, glaring a Black, hoping he would get the point of his following words. “I do not think Black is blaming you in anyway Harry, it is a valid question, but the way you reacted and your feelings were valid as well.”

“I didn’t think she would listen. I didn’t think anyone would.” Sirius nodded in response to the answer, looking back at Snape apologetically, though there was still hardened anger behind those eyes that was obviously being held back for Harry’s sake.

“When Severus found me the next day, he took me to the hospital wing, and Madam Pomfrey did a scan that showed a bunch of injuries on it.” Harry looked to Snape with questioning eyes.

“I asked Poppy to perform a full medical scan on Harry. When I found him, I suspected there was a deeper problem, much worse than Gryffindors bullying people.” Sirius had the decency to look ashamed at this. “The scan showed multiple injuries from Harry’s past, all obvious signs of abuse and neglect. Harry, would I be able to give your Uncles each a copy?”

Harry nodded his consent and continued his story as Severus stood to retrieve his copy of the scan and duplicate it.

“He helped me and gave me potions and a scar cream… thing, and he asked if he could adopt me. I really like being adopted, Siri. I like living here and having someone who cares. He got me clothes, and glasses that work, and my beds really nice, and after the first task he said we can decorate my room, and he got me books, and-”

“Harry, those are all things you should have always had.” Severus returned with the copies and handed them to Black and Lupin. He thought it was quite cute when Harry bubble over with child-like excitement. He knew it was common for children of abuse to experience bouts of age-regression when they found safety; it was something he was keeping a close eye on. “It’s now six o’clock Harry, are you hungry or would you like to wait a little longer on breakfast?”

Before Harry could answer, his stomach rumbled, as if protesting in advance, convinced Harry would say he could wait. The boy smiled shyly and nodded.

“Winnie,” As always, the little elf arrived the moment her name was called. “Please bring Harry and I, our usual breakfasts… Black? Lupin?”

Once again, the two looked shocked, as if it was an outrageous thing that Snape could use his manners.

Lupin regained his composure first, “We will both have whatever you two are having, we aren’t picky. Thank you, Winnie”

Winnie left and returned with four breakfasts, more tea, and chocolate milk for Harry. For breakfast, everyone had Harry’s usual; however, there was also a large fruit bowl placed in the center of the coffee table.

Harry slid down onto the ground, so he was level with the coffee table, something he did most mornings when they ate here or when he was studying. Severus handed Harry his potion, disregarding the confused looks on Black and Lupin’s faced. He would have to explain a bit to these men later, he wasn’t looking forward to it, but it was necessary. _You are doing this for Harry; you are doing this for Harry._ He continuously repeated to himself.

The quartet ate in uncomfortable silence. While eating Sirius and Remus read over the medical report, both coming face-to-face with the horrifying extent of Harry’s abuse. Severus knew Black had a terrible childhood too, being a member of one of the most influential dark families in wizarding Britain came with standards, standards that Sirius Black did not live up to. But, he knew from his friendship with Regulus that even Walburga Black would never hurt a child to this extent.

Severus kept a close eye on Harry, knowing that his discomfort could affect his appetite. He could see that the two older Gryffindors had not touched their food; he couldn’t blame them. The report in their hand had made his stomach turn. He saw tears forming in both men’s eyes, so they had the decency to wipe them away quickly, not forcing their emotions on Harry.

He watched as Sirius began to subconsciously run his hands through Harry’s hair as the boy ate, Harry leaned into his Godfather's touch, like a puppy being scratched behind the ears. Again, Severus was struck with how young and innocent the boy looked, he craved this sort of affection, like a small child, it was quite adorable.

Lupin slid down from his chair to share the floor with Harry, slowly raising his arm to wrap it around Harry’s shoulder. “We love you, little cub. You know that, right? There is nothing in the world that could ever change that. Adding a new last name and being in Slytherin changes nothing, you are stuck with us.”

Harry nodded and leaned into Lupin, nuzzling into the wolf's neck. They continued their breakfast like this, the two men sharing concerned looks at times, but not asking questions, just enjoying their food in silence.

Once the plates were emptied, Winnie arrived to return them to the kitchen, and the conversation from earlier continued.

“So, pup, how is it being a snake. Are the Slytherins treating you well?” Sirius looked concerned while asking this. Snape rolled his eyes, dismayed that Black thought his snakes would disrespect or harm his son.

“I actually like it a lot. The common room is quieter than the tower was, and we have a weekly study group, so I’m already doing better in my classes. The guys in my dorm are also a lot neater, so I like that because Ron and Seamus always made a mess. We also have a pet snake named Mira, she’s really nice, and when we study, she and I talk.”

“You got him a pet?” Lupin asked, turning to Snape.

“It is a Slytherin tradition that each year has a pet snake. It has been this way since before we were students, people outside of our house rarely know about the tradition.”

“Well, that sounds very nice, Harry. I am glad classes are going well. Are you preparing for the Tournament as well?” Sirius directed this question to Harry but immediately turned to look at Snape.

“The first task is dragons; I’m a goner.” Again, Harry looked down as if he had already been defeated.

“You are not, I told you we would figure this out together,” Snape reminded him. He was still furious that the children would be forced to come face-to-face with fully grown dragons. “Did you get any details on the dragons while you were with Hagrid? Their age, breed, how long they have been trained or in captivity?”

“They are all nesting mothers, Charlie said. There was a Welsh Green-Back, Swedish Short-Snout, Chinese Fireball, and Hungarian Horn Tail. Charlie said their flames can reach about forty feet. That’s all I can remember.”

_Why would they want nesting mothers? _“That is very good, Harry. Knowing all that information will make this easier for us. I will look through my library and collect as much information as I can.” Severus looked up at the clock and noticed that Harry only had thirty minutes until class, and he would need to be escorted to the Great Hall to meet his housemates.

“Harry, go get dressed for class. I will walk you to the Great Hall so you can go to class with everyone else.”

When Harry left the room, he turned to the two men left in his study. He hated the words he knew he needed to say.

“Thank you for not asking too many questions; he hasn’t been doing well with talking about his past.”

Sirius and Lupin exchanged a look of shock before Lupin composed himself.

“Of course. We will do whatever we need to do to be in his life, we both understand that he is your responsibility and will respect that, but please let us be in his life. I know our past is… complicated, to say the least. But, Harry means everything to us; we can’t lose him again now that we just found him.”

The Wolf put his face down in his hands, rubbing at his temples, “how the hell didn’t I see or notice anything? I was with him all last year!” Black placed an arm around Lupin’s shoulder and placed a kiss on his temple.

“Minerva and I have been his teachers for three years and saw nothing. Poppy has been treating his injuries the whole time and never noticed. He was very good at hiding his abuse, many children in his position are.” Severus once again took a deep breath, holding back any venom he may want to spit at these men who made his school days hell-ish. “I will not keep Harry from you, that would only hurt him. However, I cannot have him being poisoned against me. Black, can you hold your tongue?”

Sirius nodded, “I just want my pup to be ok, as long as you keep him safe I will say nothing. We don’t have to like each other, but I can be civil.” Severus rolled his eyes. “Remus can keep me civil at the least.” He chuckled a bit at that. “Is he going to be ok?”

Before Severus could answer, Harry walked out of his rooms, dressed in his Slytherin robes. He walked straight up to his Godfather, sheepishly smiling.

“Do I look ok in Slytherin colors?”

Sirius wrapped him in his arms, pressing his lips to Harry’s black tresses, “You are the prettiest snake in the world!”

Severus sent a Patronus to Dumbledore, informing him that it was time to collect the pair of Gryffindors, as Harry said his goodbyes. He felt good about this meeting, it was a bit tense, but he thought he had behaved correctly; been the bigger person.

As the two were headed out the door, Severus stopped Lupin, placing a hand on his arm. “He will be okay; I will let you know if you can do anything.”

Lupin nodded and smiled, gratitude shining in his eyes as he left with his partner trotting at his feet.

Yes, Severus was going to be a good father, he would deal with Gryffindors and Dragons to make his son safe and happy. It really was the least he could do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have rarely cried while writing this work, which is surprising since I cry over everything. However, while proof reading I starting crying! Having Harry be surrounded by adults who actually behaved like adults pulled on my heart!


	25. Moody

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know I keep saying this but, this chapter and the one that follows it were both so much fun to write! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know what you think, I am gonna say more in the end of chapter notes!
> 
> Please enjoy our regularly scheduled program of Adults behaving like children!

After Transfiguration, Harry made his way to Defense Against the Dark Arts class, still feeling light-hearted. He still had his Godfather and Lupin! They didn’t hate him, _At least not yet,_ because he was a Snape and a Slytherin. He felt good, not good enough to face a Dragon, but still better than he had hours ago.

The memory of the dragons from the previous night was fresh in Harry’s mind when he passed a group of Seventh-year Hufflepuffs on his way to Defense against the Dark Arts. Harry realized that Cedric was the only Champion who didn’t know about the Dragons.

Thinking fast, Harry whispered, “Diffindo,” pointing at Cedric’s bag. He watched as a slit formed in the bottom, and his books came pouring out.

“I need to speak to Cedric,” Harry leaned forward to say to Draco, knowing he wouldn’t be allowed to be left alone with the older champion. Draco gave him an annoyed look, but nodded his head in understanding and moved to the wall, bringing the group of snakes with him.

Harry moved quickly, thankful that Cedric had told his friends to go along without him, to help Cedric collect his things. When he arrived at the boy’s side, he started picking up his books and quills, making it seem to a passerby that there was no other reason the two were together.

“Hi,” said Cedric, picking up his transfiguration textbook. “My bag just split… brand-new and all…”

“Cedric, the first task his dragons,” Harry cut him off, not needing to waste time talking about the boy’s bag.

“What?”

“Dragons, they’ve got four, one for each of us, we’ve got to get past them,” Harry spoke quickly, knowing that at any moment someone could cause a scene just because the two Hogwarts Champions were speaking.

“You’re sure?” Cedric said in a hushed voice, his face paled drastically from its usual handsome glow.

“Dead sure, I’ve seen them,” seeing that he was about to be cut off again, Harry continued quickly. “Never mind how I found out, but I am not the only one who knows. Fleur and Krum will know by now- Maxime and Karkaroff both saw them too.”

Cedric straightened up, his bag now fixed and the books and quills back where they belonged. He stared at Harry, a puzzled expression on his face.

“Why are you telling me?”

A noise from behind Harry made him turn, noticing that Draco was staring at him and pointing to his watch. He turned back to Cedric, knowing he had to wrap this up quickly so they would not all be late for class.

“It’s just…fair, isn’t it? We all know now... We’re on an even footing, aren’t we?” with that, he left Cedric and made his way back to his housemates. Luckily, no one asked any questions, and they made it to class on time.

Harry took his seat next to Blaise, choosing the shared desk closest to the window. He noticed that Malfoy and Theo usually took the desk front and center in classes, and the girls sat behind them. He had come to realize that Malfoy put himself in front, not because he needed attention, though he did love attention, but because he was a powerful wizard and could protect his friends. Blaise was right; he was a bit of a mother hen. It was shocking at first when Harry had come to learn that Draco was the most powerful of the group, but according to the rest he had been able to begin his magical training long before everyone else, apparently the wards at Malfoy Manor made underage magic undetectable.

“Straight to it!” Moody barked as he entered the class, limping as we walked to his desk. “Curses. They come in many strengths and forms. Now, according to the Ministry, I’m supposed to teach you counter-curses and leave it at that. I’m not supposed to show you what illegal Dark Curses look like until you’re in the sixth year. You’re not supposed to be old enough to deal with it till then.” His face turned deadly as a menacing smirk crossed the man's marred face. “But, you Slytherins can handle it right, bet you already seen some of them? Who wants to learn about Unforgivable Curses?”

Moody continued to sneer at the students, and Harry noticed many of his classmates shrunk back a bit in their seats. However, none of them lowered their eyes, refusing to look ashamed or upset. Harry didn’t think this was fair, maybe their parents had been bad people, but they were fourteen, none of them could do Dark Magic. Even if they wanted to, he doubted anyone in the class was powerful enough, regardless of their extra training.

“So… do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law? The curses that will… should… send a witch or wizard straight to Azkaban?” his voice was taunting, letting the true intention behind his words hang obviously in the air. Moody looked around at the class, a sadistic glee in his eyes. No one said anything; all just looking at their Professor, their expressions ranging from disbelief to outrage.

After a while of silence, it seemed Moody realized he would gain no response from the Slytherins, and so he walked over to Crabbe and Goyle’s desk. “You two should know a special little spell, didn’t your daddies teach you any?”

Goyle was the one to speak. “The Imperius Curse, sir.” His voice was void of emotion but his eyes shown with anger as he looked up to the old Auror

“Yes, your dear father would know all about that one…or so he would say,” Moody went to his desk and retrieved a jar of spiders. He extracted a spider and placed it on his desk.

“Imperio!”

The spider leaped from Moody’s desk and attached itself to the Professor’s hand by a fine thread of silk. It began to swing back and forth as though on a trapeze. It then landed once more on the desk and began performing cartwheels.

Harry found the display unsettling, and it seemed his housemates agree, for no one made a noise as they watched the small spider perform tricks.

“What? Not entertaining enough for you lot? The other houses thought it was funny, but maybe I should do something more… Slytherin. What should I have her do next? Jump out the window?” he moved his wand, and at once, the spider was standing on the edge of an open window. “Drown herself?” then the spider was suspended in the air above a bucket of water.

The class stayed quiet, watching the display before them. Harry couldn’t believe what he was seeing or how Moody was behaving. The professor finally returned the little spider back to its jar and faced the class again.

“Years ago, there were a lot of witches and wizards being controlled by the Imperious Curse. Many claimed that they only did You-Know-Who’s bidding because of it… but I don’t need to tell you lot about that, do I?”

Once again, he was met with deafening silence. “The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I will be teaching you how… don’t want any of you to be forced to join the dark… you lot should do that by choice.” He laughed at his own cruel joke, and Harry felt an unpleasant shiver up his spine. “Who has got another curse to share?”

Moody walked around, pacing the front of the classroom, waiting for an answer he would not receive. The Slytherin sat in silent solidarity, glaring at their Professor as he berated them.

“Come on, what about you, Blondie?” Moody walked to Draco’s desk, leaning into him. “You’ve probably heard all about your auntie Bellatrix, right? Tell me, what was her favorite spell?”

Draco took a deep breath, never breaking eye contact with his Professor. “The Cruciatus Curse, she landed herself a life-time in Azkaban for it, Sir.”

Moody stepped away from Malfoy and went to his desk. He returned to Draco’s desk with the jar filled with spiders. The Professor reached inside and selected a new spider, placing it in front of Malfoy; he returned the jar to his desk.

“Needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the idea, don’t you think? Engorgio!” the spider swelled, it was now larger than a tarantula. But still, Malfoy did not flinch; he kept his eyes trained on the Professor.

“Let me show you what your aunt was so good at, boy. Everyone, pay close attention” Moody raised his wand and pointed it at the spider, “Crucio!”

At once, the spider’s legs bent in upon its body; it rolled over and began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side. There was not a sound to be heard in the classroom, but Harry knew if the spider could make a noise, it would be screaming. The spider continued to shudder and jerk violently, but Moody did not lower his wand; instead, he kept his eyes on Malfoy.

“Want me to keep going?”

The glare Malfoy gave Moody could have cut through glass; it was pure hatred and pain. “No, sir. I would prefer it if you would stop.”

Moody laughed but lowered his wand. “The Longbottom’s would have preferred that your aunt stopped too, boy.” Moody picked up the spider and began his pacing once more. “Pain, you don’t need knives or screws to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse.”

Moody stopped and placed the spider in front of Harry, looking the child in the eyes. “You want to tell me the last one, boy?”

Harry heard a collective gasp from the people in the room, but he didn’t understand why. “I’m sorry, sir; I don’t know what the last one is.” He felt stupid, but he had not heard of Unforgivable Curses until today.

“No? Harry Potter… oh, I’m sorry. Harry Potter-Snape doesn’t know the last curse? You should; it’s what made you famous, isn’t it class.” Moody raised his wand and pointed it at the spider in front of Harry. “Avada Kedavra”

There was a flash of blinding green light and a rushing of sound. Instantaneously the spider rolled over onto its back, unmarked, but unmistakably dead.

“Not nice, not pleasant, and there is no counter-curse. There is no blocking it. Only one person has ever survived it… and he's sitting in this room.”

Harry felt both of Moody’s eyes training into the back of his skull, but he could not take his eyes off the spider. This is how his parents died; no noise, no escape, just a flash of green light, and then nothing.

Harry had pictured his parent's death many times since he had learned the truth from Hagrid. He knew from the encounters with Dementors that his father died first, telling his mother to run away with him while James tried to block Voldemort’s path. He knew his mother pleaded with Voldemort, begging him to spare her son’s life. But now he knew how it ended, the spell that took away his momma and papa. At least now the green light that plagued his nightmares made sense, he had previously thought it was a traffic light when he had been lied to by his relatives; told his parents died in a car crash.

Harry did not pay attention to the rest of the class; luckily, they were mostly reading their textbooks and taking notes on the unforgivables. He was anxious to leave, but when the class was finally dismissed, he was stopped by Moody.

Each member of his house looked at him, fear in their eyes at the idea of leaving Harry alone with the man who had just berated them all. But they did as they were told and left him alone with the frightening man.

“So, you got any idea how you're going to get past your dragon?” Moody asked once the last student had left the classroom.

Harry was shocked, did he respond or would that be admitting that he cheated and get him in trouble.

“I’m not gonna tell anyone laddie. Cheating is a time-honored tradition in the Tournament. So, got any ideas?”

“No, sir.” He didn’t want to be stuck around the Professor any longer than he had to. He still could not believe how he had treated the members of his house; it made him uncomfortable and nervous.

“Well, I’m not going to tell you, I don’t show favoritism. I’m just going to give you some good advice. Play to your strengths.”

“I haven’t got any,” Harry said, unable to stop himself.

“Excuse me,” growled Moody. “You’ve got strengths if I say you got them. Think now. What are you best at?”

Harry thought for a moment, but his mind drew a blank. Most of his achievements had been, as McGonagall had said, ‘sheer dumb luck’, and not based on skill. However, there did seem to be one exception.

“Quidditch?” He said dully, how was that going to help?

“That’s right,” the Professor roared, causing Harry to flinch involuntarily. “You're a damn good flier from what I’ve heard.”

“Yeah, but… I’m not allowed a broom. I’ve only got a wand-”

“The second piece of advice, use a nice simple spell to enable you to get what you need.”

Harry was about to respond when there was a knock at the door. Before Moody could respond, Severus opened the door and walked into the classroom.

“So sorry, I was waiting for Harry, and he didn’t come out I became worried. Is something wrong, Professor Moody?” Severus' tone was dark and chilling, so sharp it could cut you.

“Not at all, I was just about to send him on his way.” Harry hurried to grab his stuff from his desk and follow his adopted father out of the classroom. Upon exiting, he was met with the remainder of his class, all staring at him questioningly.

“Come along, you all have potions. We will speak tonight after dinner.” Severus swept past the group, his robes billowing behind him. The children followed in his footsteps, Harry still shaken from the class he had just attended.

* * *

“Which one of you can calmly explain to me what happened in Defense class today?” Severus had never seen his students so shaken. It was rare to see them raddled, especially by a teacher. When their class had been released, all the students had gathered in the hall, all except Harry. Luckily, the Bloody Barron had been passing, and Draco had the sense to ask him to retrieve Professor Snape.

When Snape had arrived, it was to find nine pale Slytherins, all huddled together waiting for his son. It had taken a good bit of restraint to wait on an explanation, but he didn’t want to draw attention to his already distraught snakes.

“He’s teaching us the Unforgivable Curses, Sir,” Pansy spoke in a monotone, no emotion in her voice. “He started by saying that we probably already knew them because of our parents, and then he took spiders out of a jar and showed them to us. He put one on Crabbe and Goyle’s desk and used the Imperious Curse. He started talking about how some people who did the Dark Lords work only did it because of this spell, but he basically said they were all lying…he said that their dads were some of the ones who lied.”

While it was true that Crabbe and Goyle’s fathers did lie, as well as Lucius and many others, about being under the Imperious Curse, why would Moody use these curses and intimidate children because of what their parents did?

_Really, Severus? Who would blame a child for something their father did? Who would try and intimidate a child? Oh, wait! You!_

“He then put a spider on Draco’s desk and asked him if he knew what his Aunt Bella did, her favorite spell.” The group turned to Draco, and Severus felt his heart breaking just a little. He had known Draco since the day he was born; he had been the first person, aside from Lucius, Cissy, and the Midwife, to hold him. He knew how Draco felt about Bellatrix; he was terrified of the insane woman.

“He was torturing the creature and wouldn’t stop.” Draco took over speaking for a while. “I just looked at Moody, I couldn’t watch. Then he asked me if I wanted him to keep going and I said I would prefer it if he stopped. He said the Longbottom’s would have like that too.”

Draco looked down at his lap, and Severus could tell he was fighting back tears. The rest of the students all looked at Harry and then returned their gaze to the professor. He knew why; if Moody was targeting the students based on their pasts, he likely saved the final curse for Harry.

“Harry?” his son just shook his head, “Harry, did he use the killing curse on a spider?” Severus waited patiently until Harry nodded. The small boy’s hands had started to shake from where they lay on his lap.

“Did he do it on your desk?” again, Harry nodded in confirmation and Severus took note of how Blaise had reached over to hold Harry’s hand.

Severus knew he would not get more from Harry tonight, nor would he try. Harry wouldn’t be ready to speak about this just yet; it was too much on top of all his other responsibilities.

“He asked Harry to tell us the last curse, but Harry didn’t know it,” Blaise spoke up from his place standing beside Harry. “He then said that it was the reason he was famous, he killed the spider and went on to say how no one had survived the curse except Harry. He shouldn’t be allowed to do that, right?”

“He shouldn’t, I will speak to Professor Moody, and if need be, I will also speak to the Headmaster. If he ever does anything like this again, you have my permission to walk out of his class and find me.” He looked at his snakes, each one looking ashamed and a bit broken, and knew he needed to pull and inspirational speech out of his arse.

“I am proud of each of you, holding your temper and emotions in such a distressful and upsetting class shows an incredible amount of strength. I am sorry you have been treated this way; you should not be held accountable for your relative's actions. However, Professor Moody is not the first, and he will not be the last to use your family's past deeds against you.”

He watched as each of his students seemed to glow under his praise. He was always honest with his snakes; he knew they would face prejudice just for being in his house, and he did not feel it was healthy or helpful for him to deny that truth. Instead, he warned them, kept them on guard and made sure they could protect themselves when he couldn’t be around.

“Harry, why did he keep you after class?” Draco asked, concern notable in his voice. He could already see that the two boys had begun to get along, they were not the best of friends, but Draco’s protective nature had obviously seen someone in need of care, and he had gladly taken up the job.

“He wanted to help me with the first task.” Harry was looking down at his hand, still being held by Blaise. “He said cheating was a tradition, and then he gave me, some advice to deal with…” Harry trailed off and looked up at his father, silently asking if he should continue.

“It is your choice if you wish to share with your classmates; they may be of great use to you in this task or in later ones.” He knew Harry’s Gryffindor nature was not in favor of cheating or asking for help. However, Severus was hoping the Slytherin side would begin to take advantage of the assets he had; the members of his house would be a great resource for Harry, he just needed to use a bit of cunning.

“I have to get past a fully grown dragon.” Snape had not known how his student would react, but he was proud that none of them yelled or became overly dramatic. Instead, they sat and nodded their heads, prompting Harry to continue. Blaise had taken the frail hand he held and transferred it to his knee, now enclosing the small appendage with both hands. “Moody said to play to my strengths, but I said I had none except flying. He kept going on about how I’m a good flier, and when I told him I didn’t get a broom, just a wand, he said I needed to use a simple spell to get what I needed.”

“Okay, so we work on summoning charms, and one of us will place your broom somewhere close to the arena,” Blaise said, removing one hand from their conjoined grasp and briefly placing it on his knee. Severus saw Harry smile up at the dark-skinned Italian and blush adorably.

“Alright, well, Harry and I were going to train a bit for the tournament, so if you wouldn’t mind heading back to the common room and completing your homework. I will return Harry to you before lights out.”

He watched the group say goodbye to Harry; Pansy, of course, wanted a hug, what surprised Severus was that almost every member of the house felt the need to embrace the boy, even Crabbe, and Goyle. As each member approached that would ask if they could hug him and waited for Harry to nod, showing that they understood his aversion to touch as well as his juxtaposing need for it. He had been so worried that Harry would not find comfort or friends in Slytherin, but it seemed he had nothing to worry about. His little Parselmouth had slithered his way into the hearts of his classmates, and it had only taken a few weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was rewatching the movie before I wrote this and wondered 'how would Barty / Moody treat the children of death eaters who avoided Azkaban?' On either side, I thought he would be vindictive and cruel. Barty, because they turned their backs on the Dark Lord and lied to save themselves. Moody, because most of their parents were likely captured by him.
> 
> I thought it would also be fun to see the blatant Slytherin Prejudice from adults, not just the students.
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	26. Pity Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope you are all staying healthy and are enjoying your quarantine! As people who write and read fanfictions, I am sure many of you (like me) have been social distancing for quite some time and are professionals at it LOL!
> 
> On a serious note; I hope all of you are safe and healthy! Please enjoy this chapter and use this time to be creative (If you have the option)
> 
> To help everyone get through this I would love to get some fanfic recs from you guys! If you need something recommended write me a comment and I'll respond and if you are writing something let me know
> 
> <3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

Harry had begun his evening with lines; “I must not give my guardian a heart-attack” was written three-hundred times on a piece of parchment. By Snape's usual standards it was a tame punishment, but the thought that he had disappointed his guardian had hurt. When it was brought up earlier this morning, the thought of a punishment had frightened Harry; he did not expect Severus’ punishments to be anything like Uncle Vernons, but he could not stop the voice in his head telling him otherwise. However, throughout the process, Snape continuously reminded Harry that though he had done something he shouldn’t have, it did not mean that Harry was bad. The process was as painless as possible and over quite quickly.

Harry and Severus spent the rest of the evening working on summoning charms and stunning spells, believing these will be the most useful during the first task. Though both Harry and Snape were disgusted with Moody’s lesson, they had agreed that his advice was sound; Harry was a better flier than most, and that could give him an advantage. A dragon couldn’t eat you if it can’t reach you.

By the end, Harry had been able to summon a feather from across the room, though he was still struggling with heavier objects. He found that Severus was a great teacher when he wasn’t trying to scare his students. His new father was intelligent and incredibly powerful, and luckily for Harry, he seemed to enjoy sharing his wisdom with him. _At least for now, little freak._

“We will pick this up again tomorrow after supper. I will expect you every evening until the first task, so we may continue to train.” Severus approached Harry as the boy packed his belongings. “Are you positive you would not prefer to stay here for the night? We haven’t spoken yet about what happened in your class today, and I know it must have been…troubling. We do not need to speak about it just yet, but it might be better to be in your room and not the dorms.”

Harry thought about this; it would be nice to stay down here close to Severus. But, he didn’t want to be different… or more different than he already was. He wanted to stay in the dorms as often as possible…, and if he needed to sneak down to see his <strike>father</strike> Severus, he always had his cloak.

“I want to stay in the dorms when I can… I don’t want to be different…” he said, this all staring at the floor, wondering if Severus would feel slighted that he didn’t want to stay. “I promise I will talk to you about class, but not tonight, okay?”

“Very well,” was the only reply, and together they left their rooms and made their way to the Slytherin Dormitory.

As usual, the two walked in comfortable silence, enjoying the last few moments they had alone as father and son. Harry had begun thinking of Severus as his father quite quickly, but he had no reservations about it. Harry had never called anyone ‘dad,’ ‘father’ or any other variation of the title before. He didn’t dare say it aloud, but in his head, Severus had already become ‘dad.’

When the two approached the entrance to the common room, Severus stopped and pulled Harry into his arms.

“If you need me, come get me. I will never be angry about being woken up by you if you are in need of my help. I also have the wards on your bed, so if you have a nightmare, I will come to you immediately.”

He said this while running his hands through Harry’s hair. For the past two weeks, he had been reminding Harry this every night, drilling this information into Harry's mind. The boy was still having trouble believing the words, but he was happy to hear them every time Severus repeated this mantra.

“I know, Goodnight!” Harry squeezed his father a little tighter before leaving him in the hallway and entering the empty common room.

Making his way to his dorm, he could hear the voices of his classmates. Opening the door, he was greeted by the sight of his entire class, girls included, huddled together on people's beds. Pansy was cuddled around a teary-eyed Draco. Crabbe and Goyle sat together on Crabbe’s bed, sitting across from each other while holding hands. Daphne was sitting with Theo, leaning against his chest while Theo ran his fingers through her hair. Millicent and Tracey had taken Blaise's bed and laying side-by-side, leaning on the headboard. On Goyle’s bed sat the two Seventh Year Prefects, Gemma Farley, and Felix Rosier. Blaise had taken his place on Harry’s bed but had made room for him to join.

“Hey Harry, we were just talking about DADA class today. We heard that Moody went after a bunch of you. You doing okay?” Gemma said, waving him over to join everyone.

Harry made his way to his bed and sat beside Blaise, lounging against the headboard, shoulder-to-shoulder with the dark-skinned Italian.

“I’m good,” was all Harry managed in a shaky voice.

“Bullshite, Harry,” Draco said, but his voice had no bite. The blonde's tone was muted, monotone with no life behind the words. “He used Unforgivables in a room full of kids whose families are very closely connected to those spells. You don’t have to say how you feel, but don’t lie. No one in this room is ‘good.’” Draco ran his hands through his hair and leaned in closer to Pansy. “I’m losing my damn mind.”

Harry watched as silent tears rolled down Draco’s face, unsure what to do. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing; Draco crying was the last thing he ever thought he would witness. But here he was, showing vulnerability and asking for nothing in return.

“I didn’t know it was like that,” said Harry, unsure why he had decided to speak. “I always imagined they died a bit more… dramatically? Like there was a gust of wind and screaming, or something. I didn’t even know what the spell was.”

Draco nodded, his eyes never leaving Harry’s face. Harry felt an arm wrap around him and looked up to see Blaise had tucked him under his shoulder, holding him closer and keeping him warm.

“Same. I knew what Aunt Bella did, and I knew she did it to a lot of people. But, I didn’t know it was like that. Mom told me stories about Bella; before she went crazy, she was apparently my mom's best friend. But then she started losing it, mom wouldn’t let her around me when I was born.”

Draco looked around like he was lost, but it seemed that he found his way because he continued.

“This is why we travel in pacts Harry, people only see us as mini-death eaters. It doesn’t matter that the war was fourteen-years ago or that we are just children, we are targeted…even by teachers… We all know what our parents did, but we aren’t our parents.”

Harry was shocked, to say the least. Severus had basically told him exactly what Draco had said; these kids were not their parents. But, he had never expected to hear it from his classmates. Then again, he hadn’t expected a teacher to show them curses that could land people in Azkaban either.

The group sat in silence, all likely thinking over the events of the day. Looking around, Harry noticed that each pairing was in some way connected, holding each other together, giving the other person support. Harry instinctively burrowed a little closer to Blaise, taking in his scent as he did. The boy smelled of cinnamon and cloves and some sort of citrus, it was a smell Harry quickly grew quite fond of.

“Alright, listen up kiddies,” Felix said, breaking the silence as he clasped his hands together and walked to the center of the room. “Tonight is your night to throw a pity party. What Moody did was shitty, but Draco’s right, you are going to get targeted. Either because of what your family members have ‘allegedly’ done,” The older Slytherin eyed the group knowingly, “or just because you are a Slytherin. My dad was killed supporting the Dark Lord before I was born; I still get told I’m a death eater in training even though I’ve never met the son of a bitch. It’s not fair, but neither is life. Girls, you can stay here past curfew, and we will extend your bedtime just for tonight. But, I want you all back in your dorms by eleven o’clock; Gemma and I will be around to check.”

The group nodded as the two prefects left, Gemma stopped at each of the girls and kissed them on the forehead; brushing their hair behind their ear and cradling their cheeks, she looked like the picture-perfect big sister.

The group stayed quiet for a little after the two left, enjoying each other’s company, knowing that they had formed a deeper kinship after that disastrous class.

“So Potter, how was private lessons with your father? Ready to face a dragon?”

Harry turned towards the voice just in time to see Goyle get hit in the face with a pillow thrown by Pansy.

“Seriously, Goyle? That’s the topic you choose to lighten the mood? You think going from deadly curses to deadly creatures is really the best option?”

The group laughed while Goyle blushed and tossed the pillow back at Pansy.

“He said to throw a pity-party. I’m just giving the new guy a chance to unburden himself. If anyone gets to throw a pity-party, it’s him, right! Come on, Potter, unburden your load!” Goyle said excitedly, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

Harry watched as the burly boy practically bounced up and down on his bed. He sounded genuine, but Harry knew there was a bit of Slytherin cunning under his words. He didn’t just want to hear about the dragon, he wanted to know about the adoption and how it came to be.

“Lessons were fine, Sev- err, he is a really good teacher when cauldrons aren’t exploding, and he isn’t dealing with a bunch of kids. I am definitely in better shape than I was, but don’t think I’ll ever be ready.

“Well, Harry, we promise we will all be in the crowd cheering you on…” Draco said, leaning over Pansy. “Or if you are already in the mouth of the dragon we will be cheering for the dragon, Slytherins don’t like to be on the losing side.” He smirked and winked at Harry before Pansy hit him in the face with a pillow.

The group spent the night talking about their lives and families, opening up to Harry about who they truly were. Harry was under the impression that everyone in the room already knew these things and they were opening up for him exclusively. He felt honored that they would share details about their personal lives with him.

He learned about Draco’s family; how his mother and father had wanted another child more than anything in the world, but could not have one. Draco had apparently only been conceived because of a potion Severus had invented, but it hadn’t worked a second time. Draco had seen his parents go through many miscarriages, though it was never spoken about. The blonde said he had always wanted siblings, and that he viewed his house as his family.

Harry learned about Crabbe and Goyle, how they had been together since they were born, both of their mothers having died in childbirth. The two boys grew up together, their fathers relying on one-an-other and their combined house elf’s to raise them. The two boys spoke about how they couldn’t be without each other and how much they loved each other, both looking down at their combined hands. Harry thought to himself how jealous he was of their close friendship, missing the romantic elements of their bond entirely. Though he had a feeling he could find something close with the boy beside him.

Pansy and Daphne spoke together, their lives being very similar. As pureblood daughters, they often felt like one thing; breeding stock. They loved their families, but it was pushed on them each year that they were meant to find a husband before they were ‘no longer viable.’ Pansy spoke about how she and Draco had been told they would likely one day be married, but how neither of them wanted that, to Pansy, Draco was her protective big (though slightly younger) brother. Daphne was much the same, though she did not yet know who her father was talking to about betrothal contracts.

Millicent was apparently exempt from this, partially because she was a half-blood, though the other reasons made Harry want to cry. She looked heartbroken as she told the group how her father had sat her down and told her she would likely never marry because she wasn’t pretty enough. Harry watched as she brushed a stray tear from her eyes and leaned closer to Tracey.

Theo was less eager to share, just saying that he knew what his father was, and didn’t want to be like him. He said that his mother was gone, but he didn’t elaborate, and from the looks of the people in the room, Harry was not going to ask for details.

The girls had begun to leave when Harry started nodding off on Blaise’s shoulder, breathing in deeply and taking in the warm, spicy scent that seemed to radiate from the man.

“Hey, what about you? What’s your fun story?” Harry asked, not wanting to leave the position he was in. He had never had a night like this in Gryffindor; if he was up late in the tower, it was loud and crazy or an anxiety-filled cram session. Tonight was nice, just talking and cuddling, and the sweet smell of cinnamon.

“It’s just me, my mom, and whatever husband she is with at that moment,” Blaise said nonchalantly. “She’s been married six times so far, though she was talking to some new bloke over the summer, so I may come home to a new daddy for Christmas… I don’t know if the rumors are true, but they might be.” Blaise adjusted Harry in his arms gently, pulling him a bit closer in the process.

“What rumors?”

“You really haven’t heard them?” Blaise looked down at the green-eyed boy shaking his head. “You might be the only one. All of my mother’s husbands have died, so people have said that my mother kills them for their inheritance… I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I love my mother, so I choose to believe only the good. It has always been just the two of us; even if she’s married, I knew I am the most important, so how could I believe something so terrible?”

Harry thought about this, he couldn’t help but think that the circumstances sounded suspicious, but he also understood what Blaise meant. Harry had a feeling that as he grew up, he would hear things about Severus that weren’t good. Things from when he was a death eater, but that wouldn’t make him turn from his father.

“I don’t believe the rumors,” Harry said drowsily.

Even as everyone returned to their beds, Blaise and Harry remained tucked together, speaking softly. They stayed away from deeper topics, mostly Harry listened to Blaise talk about past vacations to tropical islands and how much the boy loved visiting Italy over the summer. He was thankful that no one had asked about his life, probably sensing that he was not ready to divulge the reasoning behind his recent adoption.

Harry began to drift in and out of the conversation, being lulled to sleep by the young man's voice. The last conscience thought Harry had, was that he was very happy to be in Slytherin, and even happier to have found a friend in Slytherin who smelt so nice.


	27. Domum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorter chapter this week. I know a lot of you have been asking for longer chapters, and I am working on it! I promise I will never post a chapter less than 1000 words.
> 
> I hope everyone is staying safe this week! I have been able to get some writing done and am starting my second story!

The common room was packed the night before the first task as the seventh year prefects had called a house meeting. Notably, Harry Potter was absent; spending the night with his father instead of surrounded by the rest of his classmates.

Blaise understood why he had made that decision, but he couldn’t help but miss the sweet boy he had come to befriend, and more recently, had become affectionately close with. He remembered fondly the night they had spent talking and cuddling together. Though the memory was overshadowed by some of the sadness from the class that day, he could not think of a time he was happier than that night, snuggled up with a sweet green-eyed boy.

He had started to notice things about Harry, things he wasn’t too happy to see. He had noticed that night that he was frail, more so than he had expected. Blaise could feel every bone in his body, sticking out painfully with little fat to protect him. He had known Harry was on an eating plan, but he had assumed it was something minor, not the skin and bones he had felt.

He had seen that Harry was prone to flinching, moving away from most physical contact unless he initiates it. He had noticed it when someone would pat him on the back, or raise their hand quickly for a high-five. Knowing that his touch was welcome had become a point of pride for Blaise, and he had begun to initiate small touches when he could, noticing that not only was it welcome, but something Harry enjoyed. He had seen flinching and this sort of behavior before in Theo, and he knew why his friend reacted like that, but he held on to hope that Harry had not lived with someone who disciplined like Theo’s dad.

Unfortunately, that glimmer of hope was small, because it would all make sense if it were true. Snape had always been there for Theo; each year at the welcome feast, Theo would receive a note telling him to come to Snape’s office. Usually, the boy would arrive back to the dorms with a bruise balm and pain potions. If Harry was in a similar situation, Snape adopting him wouldn’t be so farfetched.

Blaise thought more about Harry, the sweet, small boy who had too much on his shoulders. It had not taken long for most of the Slytherin to care for the boy, and it was not only because he was Snape’s son. Blaise had fallen fast, and it seemed that each day Harry took up more and more of his thoughts.

Draco had quickly taken a big brother stance when it came to his former foe; piling more food on his plate, re-tying his tie for him, and getting the house elf’s to bring him extra blankets were just some of the things Draco had started doing to take care of Harry.

The rest had just taken the position of bodyguard. It wasn’t strange for upperclassman to join the fourth years as they walked to and from class, adding a level of protection for the small champion.

Blaise was brought out of his musing when Felix Rosier stood up on the coffee table in the middle of the common room.

“Good evening, I know tomorrow is an exciting day, and a lot of you want to get all your homework done tonight, so I will make this quick.” Felix paused dramatically, taking in the sight around him while he waited for silence.

“Tomorrow, during the first task, we will all be cheering for Harry. I do not care how you feel about him personally, he is a Slytherin, and therefore, he is family. He is also the son of our Head of House, so if you will not support him, at minimum support Professor Snape. Remember, a triumph for one Slytherin is a victory for us all!”

With that, Felix stepped down from the table and left the common room. Blaise looked around, seeing that some people were nodding in agreement with what Felix had said, while others had disdainful looks on their faces. Surprisingly, it was close to an even split, those who agreed and those who didn’t, but Blaise knew he and his classmates could cheer loud enough to make up for anyone who stayed silent.

* * *

The night before the Tournament Severus had made Harry stay in their private quarters, much to the displeasure of his housemates. He had a feeling the boy wouldn’t sleep much that night; thoughts of dragons would be running rampant through his head, and he wanted him close.

Throughout the night, Severus found himself waking up to check on Harry, each time finding him pretending to sleep. He knew he was being overbearing, but he hoped that Harry would be warmed by the knowledge that he cared.

Upon each visit, he would do the same thing, enter the room and call for Harry softly, giving him the option to cease his pretending. Then he would enter and tuck Harry in, making sure he was warm under the blankets.

Severus had faced many things in his life; death eater meetings, deadly beasts, poisons that could kill you from a single sniff. But nothing was more terrifying than the thought of his son confronting a dragon.

In the morning, when the two took in a quiet breakfast in their quarters, Severus didn’t even bother to try and get Harry to eat more, he knew that stress would just make him sick. After the task, there would be a party in the Slytherin common room, and he would make certain there was food for Harry to eat, no doubt Draco would have organized the house-elves to have all of Harry’s favorite foods.

And so, he and Harry sat in silence on the couch for a while, the small boy pushing the food on his plate around, occasionally taking the smallest bite of eggs. The nutrient potion in his system encouraged eating, but it would not work miracles and override Harry’s nerves.

“Harry?” Severus asked softly, taking these last few moments to prepare his son before they left for the task. “Remember, your broom has been placed outside the quidditch pitch, so it is closer for you to summon; that is the first thing you need to do when you enter the arena. Try to not get distracted by the dragon until you have summoned your broom. Would you like to practice the spell a few times?”

Harry nodded and raised his wand.

“Accio gloves,” at once the boy’s quidditch gloves flew into his hands. “Accio boots,” his boots followed quickly, landing loudly on the floor by Harry’s feet.

“Very good. Before we walk down to the grounds, I have a gift for you.” Severus stood and made his way to his private office. Opening the top drawer of his desk, he found the velvet jewelry box he had been storing his gift in and brought it out to Harry.

“This is a pendant of the Ancient and Noble House of Prince,” he said, opening the box to reveal the necklace within. It had a thick silver chain that seemed to be braided, the pendant in the center depicted a raven with gleaming sapphire eyes, and behind the bird was a crown. “I have done some charm work on the pendant, and it is now a portkey; it will take you directly to my side, all you must do is tap your wand to the pendent and say _Do__mum_.”

Severus handed the box to Harry and smiled when the child placed the necklace around his neck without hesitation.

“During the Tournament, you may use this at any time. You will always have a way back to me, back to safety, no matter where you are or how frightening things may be. I will always be close by to protect you.” Severus moved closer to Harry and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, delighting in the way Harry leaned into him, accepting his comfort and support.

“Thank you, Da-” Harry spoke but ended his sentence early. Severus had heard it though, the beginnings of the word ‘Dad.’ He had been thinking of himself as Harry's father for weeks now, and here he had confirmation that Harry viewed him as his dad.

“Anything for you, my son.” He pressed a kiss to Harry’s forehead, allowing Harry to hide his face in his shoulder. Though Severus could feel the heat from the boys blush, he said nothing, and the two stayed together on the couch until it was time to head to the grounds.


	28. Fatherhood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Hello my lovely, little, locked in, introverts! lol As I said last week and the week before I hope everyone is staying safe and keeping sane. I am not sane at all and have been dealing with major writer's block, which I feel bad about because I am locked inside and feel like I should be writing, you know?
> 
> So, I also wanna challenge you guys to be nice to yourselves this week, because I am working on that for myself and failing!
> 
> Love you all! <3

The champion’s tent was packed with teachers and school governors, all saying their hellos and speaking happily about their lives. It seemed like no one cared to pay attention to the group of children seated in the corner who were all about to confront dragons!

Severus sat beside his shaking son, glaring at each person that tried to approach the underage champion. He knew he was not supposed to be back here, but it was unlikely that any of the wizards present felt confident enough to kick him out.

Unlike their time together in private, Severus and Harry were not touching; instead, they sat side-by-side, their high-backed chairs pushed close together, Severus offering his presence as support. He did not want Harry to appear weak by coddling him, nor did he want to sully his own reputation by cuddling with the small boy in public. If he needed to, he would, but until then, he would keep that distance in front of others.

“I have been tasked with speaking with you, Severus; it seems that all others are afraid to kick you out.” Severus turned to see Lucius Malfoy standing behind him and Harry. As usual, his long silver hair was slicked back in a long ponytail. He wore expensive black dress robes, and stood tall with his signature walking stick, topped with the head of a silver snake, fangs bared and emerald eyes glowing, elegantly at his side.

Severus had received no reply from Lucius after sending him a letter weeks ago. He had expected something, at minimum a message sent through Draco, but after two weeks, Severus had given up hope. He had suspected their friendship was over, brushed aside for the protection of the Malfoy family, and had accepted that he would do the same to keep Harry safe. It didn’t hurt any less.

“Ah, so is that what you are going to do, Lucius? Kick me out?” Severus smirked at the man who was once closer to him than a brother. He leaned back slightly on the chair he was seated in and threw his arm over the back of Harry’s chair.

He could feel Harry tense even further next to him, cringing away from the blonde man. Severus had hoped the two would be reacquainted in a more forgiving environment, hopefully with Draco present to act as a buffer between the two. Instead, Harry was forced to meet a man who had once threatened him before facing a dragon. It seemed to Severus that his son couldn’t catch even the slightest break.

“Absolutely not Severus, I value my life far too much to get between a father and son. Speaking of which, Narcissa is in the stands with Draco and is looking forward to meeting you Mr. Potter, or is it, Mr. Snape?”

Harry looked up shyly at Severus, questions burning behind emerald eyes.

“I believe either will be fine, he is still a Potter and I will not be offended by people calling him by that name,” Severus assured Harry, taking the boy's silence as worry. He understood that it may be confusing for Harry, not knowing whether he should use James’ last name still. But, Severus would not take that from Harry. No matter how Severus felt about James Potter, he would always be Harry’s father.

“Severus, may I speak with you privately for a moment? Mr. Potter-Snape, I will return him to you in just a moment.” Not waiting for an answer, Lucius walked away to a far corner of the champions' tent and began placing silencing charms around himself.

“Harry, I will be right back. If you need me, come get me, do not worry about interrupting, you are more important than any conversation with Lucius.” Severus waited for Harry to nod in understanding before getting up and making his way to his old friend. He did not know if he was going to be cursed out or if he had retained his friendship, but he was nervous either way.

“Fatherhood seems to suit you well, Severus. I must say I am shocked that this is how you came to have a child, but you never were one to do things traditionally.” Lucius spoke with a sarcastic sneer, though Severus could sense no true malice. It was closer to an older brother needling his younger sibling.

“You never wrote me back, I was beginning to think you had no desire to speak to me again. Am I correct in thinking that may not be true?” He knew the danger he could be putting the Malfoy’s in, but he selfishly did not want to lose these people who had become his family. Lucius had been aware of his spying during the first war, it had become obvious to him once Lily became a target, but he had said nothing; instead, he used his silence to keep Severus safe.

Lucius did not answer for a while; instead, he stared at Severus, his eyes slightly squinted in thought. Lucius was not one to fidget, but Severus took note of his finger drumming softly on the silver snake-head of his walking stick.

“I need to think of Draco and Narcissa first,” he said solemnly. “He’s coming back, the mark has been getting darker each day and I don’t know if it will be safer for them with him or against him. Can I be assured of any form of safety for my family?” Lucius spoke in a bored, diplomatic tone, as if he were discussing stocks and not betraying a powerful dark wizard.

Severus took in his friend's words; cunning, ambitious, and self-preserving, the perfect embodiment of the Slytherin man Lucius truly was. Within those words, Severus found hope, a light in the distance saying that he could save his friends from a madman who would return to them soon.

“I will speak with Dumbledore, I can offer you my protection, but you know you have always had that. I will not be returning as a spy, not with Harry in my life.”

Before Lucius could respond, they were interrupted by the bright flashing of a camera and the loud shrill voice of Rita Skeeter. Severus turned to see his son being embraced by Hermione Granger and multiple cameras floating around the pair.

“Oh! Young love, how stirring? Harry, tell our readers more about your lovely little witch. How long have you been together? Is she the love of your life? Do you think you-?”

Severus had heard enough and began to make his way over to the vile woman. A quick, wandless, reducto turned the cameras to dust, ruining any possible photos there may have been.

“I believe I told you that I did not consent to you interviewing my son?” The Potions Master’s voice was low and dangerous as he moved both his son and Miss Granger to stand behind him. “I am positive you do not have permission from Miss Granger's parents as well; however, I will be owling them to make sure. Both students are underage, unlike everyone else in this tent. If I see you speaking to my son without my permission, you will be faced with a lawsuit.” To accentuate his point, he turned to Lucius with a smirk, “Lucius, I think it would be prudent to contact your lawyers so they are prepared when they are needed, I doubt it will be long before this… woman… steps out of line again.”

Severus turned to see the color leaving Rita’s face and rejoiced as he watched her scurry out of the tent. He looked over to Harry, who was still being held by Miss Granger and noticed him shaking slightly. Slowly moving forward, Severus placed some privacy spells around them, extending his arm to Harry.

Harry looked up and quickly ran into his father’s awaiting arms. Not caring that there were people present, Severus clung tightly to Harry, cradling the back of his head as he held him. He felt his small boy relax in his embrace and continued to card his fingers through his messy locks until the child's shaking had subsided

“Miss Granger, I believe it is time for you to go back to the stands.” He said, turning to the shocked Gryffindor. Hermione’s jaw was on the floor as she stared at her stoic professor. It was a strange sight, and if the circumstances were not so dire Severus might have laughed at her astonishment. Instead, he raised his eyebrow and stared at the girl until she nodded and walked out of the tent, leaving father and son behind to prepare themselves.

“Harry,” Severus spoke directly into the boy’s ear, refusing to loosen his grip or remove his face from the mop of black hair. “I know this is frightening, but you are a strong wizard and have trained for this. I will be here with you the entire time, keeping you safe.” Severus pulled away slightly and moved his hands down towards Harry’s neck, grasping the silver chain and revealing the Prince Crest around his neck. “You can always come back to me and I will protect you, not even a bloody dragon could stop me.”

Severus pulled his son close to his chest again, refusing to show the worry in his eyes to the frightened boy. He needed to be the strong one today, showing no fear so his boy could absorb his strength. With Harry’s head tucked into his neck, Severus could see Lucius staring at him, an incredulous look on his face.

“Well, fatherhood really does suit you, Severus,” the posh blonde said, leaving the tent. Severus smiled to himself, because he wholeheartedly agreed with his friend; fatherhood suited him just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Lucius Malfoy so much! I don't know why, but he has become my favorite character to read about along with Severus! Let me know what you think about him and if there is anything you really wanna see!


	29. The Task

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter has a lot of direct quotes from the books, therefore I feel I must say:
> 
> I am not JK Rowling, nor am I using her words for profit. IDK if there is a certain way I am supposed to state this, but I hope that counts!

_Collect the golden egg_, those were his only instructions. Harry felt Severus’ hand on his shoulder, but paid no attention to his surroundings, the memory of caged dragons in the Forbidden Forest playing over and over again in his head.

“And last but not least, Mr. Potter-Snape,” Bagman said, extending a silk bag to him. Harry looked around the circle of Champions and took note of the miniature dragons in each person's hand; Fleur held the Welsh Green in her delicate palm, Krum had placed the Chinese Fireball on his shoulder, and Cedric had the Swedish Short-Snout perched on one of his fingers.

Harry lowered his hand into the bag, knowing the only dragon left but hoping he may, by some miracle, be wrong. Instead, he felt the spikes of the Hungarian Horntail run against his fingers as he drew the life-like figurine out of the bag.

Harry felt Snape's hand on his shoulder, his thumb rubbing gentle circles into the muscles there that had stiffened in fear. The miniature creature resting in Harry’s palm stared at him, and bore its fangs, crouching into a defensive stance. Though to many the small figure may have been cute, Harry could only see the full-grown version in his head and the image made him want to run.

Harry was walked back to his bench by Severus, having zoned out from the remainder of Bagman’s speech. He could tell Severus was trying to speak to him, he could feel the vibration on the older man's chest as he was held against his side, and could distinguish that the low mumbling was coming from the man beside him.

However, Harry could not think of anything but the massive beast he had seen only a week ago. He couldn’t help but despair, just as his life had started to be good, it would end. _Dragons probably love the taste of little freaks like you, and once the dragon is done with you Severus won’t have to put up with you anymore._

“I don’t want to die,” Harry whispered, turning his head further to burrow into the scent of the potions master. He did not hear the man's reply as he was still mentally trapped in the forbidden forest, but he felt the arms around him tighten and the hand on his back continue rubbing soothing circles.

Harry's mind felt foggy, he only vaguely noticed the actions of the people around him. He would look up as each champion left the tent, but then would quickly retreat back into Severus’ embrace. He would hear loud noises from the pit; either the screams or cheers of the crowd, or the screeching of an angry dragon. The sound would cause Harry to tense or jump, but he was then calmed by the warm arm around him.

Too soon, Harry was being guided up from the bench and to the exit of the tent by Severus. As he was about to walk out, his guardian stopped him, stepping in front of him and placing both hands on his shoulders.

“Harry, I need you to listen to me. Do you remember what you need to do?” Severus asked, his voice gentle but stern. It took Harry a moment to remember, but then his task came to him, and he was grateful for the reminder.

“Collect the golden egg, and the first thing I do is call for my broom, right?” Harry questioned, hoping he had answered correctly. It seemed he had because Severus smiled and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

“Very good. You can do this Harry, remember I am right here and I will not allow any harm to come to you.” Severus stepped out of Harry’s way and allowed him to enter the dragon pit.

_Call your broom and get the egg, that is all you have to do!_ Harry thought to himself repeatedly. He heard a whistle blow, indicating that he was to enter and face his dragon.

The first things Harry noticed were the faces in the crowd, hundreds of them staring at him from the safety of the stands. They were making a lot of noise; whether it was friendly or not Harry could not tell. How he wished he could be with them and not down here with the dragon.

Then he saw the Horntail at the other end of the enclosure, crouched low over her clutch of eggs. Her wings half unfurled, her eyes locked on him, her deadly tail thrashing behind her leaving yard-long gouge marks in the ground.

Without thought, Harry threw himself behind a large boulder and collected his thoughts and magic before pointing his wand to the sky and shouting, “Accio Firebolt!”

Harry waited for what felt like hours, praying with every fiber of his being that it had worked, not knowing what he would do if it hadn’t. Finally, he heard the tell-tale sign of his broom hurtling through the air before it stopped and hovered before him, ready to be mounted.

Harry heard the crowd roar and could make out Bagman’s voice magnified above them, but he didn’t care. He swung his leg over the broom and kicked off flying as high as he could. As he soared upwards the Horntail began to look small, around the size of a dog, and finally, he felt he could do this. As he climbed higher his courage grew; Harry had left his fears on the ground.

He thought of the dragon as just another quidditch opponent and steeled himself for a diversionary play. He dove down to the nest of eggs and spotted the golden one on top, shimmering amongst its cream-colored companions. Moments before the dragon could open her mouth to scorch him with her flames; he pulled up, soaring high to circle around the mother dragons head. He felt like he had trained for this since first year and instead of acknowledging her flames, he thought about dodging bludgers.

Once again, Harry plummeted just as the Horntail opened his mouth, but this time he was less lucky, he missed the flames but the tail came whipping up to meet him instead, and as he swerved to the left, one of the long spikes grazed his shoulder, ripping his robes.

He could feel a slight sting, but the adrenaline in his blood kept him from noticing the severity of his injury. Instead, he zoomed around the Horntail, coming to hover behind it for a moment when an idea came to him.

He needed to get the Horntail off the ground, away from her nest or he would never get the opportunity to grab his egg. And so he began his cat and mouse game.

Harry flew back and forth, around the Horntails head. Never close enough for her flames to reach him but close enough to be perceived as a threat; a fly buzzing in her ear. He took note as the dragon extended her neck further and further, trying to reach him without leaving her eggs, and each time she stretched he flew a bit higher, enticing the creature into the sky.

He hadn’t noticed that he had begun to goad her until he started screaming “come on, come on, get me! Come get the freak!”

Finally, she reared and spread her great, black, leathery wings and began to ascend. At that moment Harry dove down, before the dragon knew what was happening or how he disappeared, he was speeding towards the ground as fast as he could with an arm extended. He felt the metal of the egg connect with his arm, but he did not stop, he stayed his course until he was out of the enclosed pit and back in the champions' tent, where he dropped to the ground, reuniting with the terror he had abandoned when he took to the sky.

Harry clutched the egg tightly to his chest as he felt hands on him, multiple pairs of hands. He would not let go of the egg for fear it would be taken and he would have to do it all over again. Suddenly the hands were removed and he could feel himself shaking. In the distance there was a voice, a velvety baritone that soothed him.

“Harry? Harry, can you hear me? Can you please open your eyes and look at me Harry?” the voice was calming and gave Harry the strength to open his eyes. Before him was a sight that, at another time, would have been comical. Severus Snape laying on the grass beside him, so their faces were at the same level, his arms extended in front of him as if he was reaching out to Harry.

“Good boy, Harry. I am so proud of you. Do you think you can sit up?” Harry frowned and shook his head, he couldn’t sit up while holding the egg and he didn’t want to let go.

“What if I hold the egg for you? I will give it right back?” Harry looked at the man in front of him, and nodded, trusting that he would be kept safe. Slowly he rolled the egg over to the Potions Master and watched as the professor sat up and held the egg in his arms. When the egg was safe in Severus's grasp, Harry moved to sit, only to double over in pain when he put weight on his shoulder.

Harry raised his teary eyes to Severus once more and saw that Madam Pomfrey had joined the Professor's side.

“Harry, can I come and heal your shoulder?” the matron asked, slowly moving toward him. Harry nodded his consent and the elderly woman moved close to him, removing vials and jars from her pockets.

“You did so well, Harry. I am so proud of you,” she praised as she healed his wounds. Harry kept his eyes on the egg in Severus’ hands until the noises of people around him caught his attention.

Harry looked up to see a small circle of people watching him; _they’ve come to see the freak show, boy! Maybe they’ll drag you back out so they can watch the dragon eat a little freak? _Harry looked back to Severus, with pleading eyes, and luckily the man before him understood.

“Anyone who does not need to be here, get out!” the crowd didn’t leave; they exchanged looks with one another and remained. Harry sent his father another pleading look.

“As my son requires no one but myself and Madam Pomfrey, I expect everyone else to leave… NOW!”

That seemed to do the trick, as each witch or wizard present left the tent in a hurry. When it was just Severus, Harry, and Madam Pomfrey, the Potions Master scooted closer to Harry and handed him a vial.

“Calming Draught, I thought you might need one.” The man said with a small smile. Harry accepted the vial and downed it quickly; reveling in the immediate peace it brought him. The calming draught cleared his mind, and he felt he could see clearly for the first time that day.

“Did I do it?” he asked, feeling childish but finding no other way to ask the many questions he had.

“Yes little one, you did it. You actually did better than all the other champions; you are in the lead with the most points.” Severus came even closer to Harry and began carding his fingers through the boy's messy, wind-blown hair. “I am so proud of you, child. My son, you are such a powerful wizard”

Harry leaned into Severus as Madam Pomfrey continued healing his shoulder, all his fears forgotten once again. He was safe, as long as he was with Severus, his father would protect him.


	30. Sanctimonia Vincet Semper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How is everyone? Are we all surviving? I don't know if I am, I think I have officially lost it lol! But, luckily I finished another chapter, am partway through the next AND am starting another story! So, I guess insanity is sparking creativity!

After being healed, Harry had calmed considerably, and the trio was able to relocate to the healer’s tent and join the other champions.

Though it was not strictly allowed, Severus refused to leave his son’s side. Watching the small boy fly around the Horntail had nearly stopped the old man’s heart, and he was in constant need of reassurance. Throughout the instructions for the next task, he kept in contact with his son – a hand on his shoulder or rubbing soothing circles into his back. Luckily the teenager did not seem to mind.

Severus wanted to throttle someone, how could they allow any of these children to go through something so dangerous. He had only watched Harry, so he only knew what he had faced, but the looks of the other champion's faces spoke volumes. Miss Delacour was leaning closely into her headmistress and staring at the canvas of the tent, a haunted look in her eyes. Krum looked so tense and strung up that it seemed at any moment he could snap in half. Standing beside Albus, Diggory looked close to tears, he was continuously rubbing his arm where moments ago the flesh had been badly burned.

Severus only absorbed the pertinent information; the next task was in February and the clue was in the egg. This gave him time to build a relationship with Harry and hopefully get some much-needed healing for the boy's mind.

He looked down at his fragile little son and sighed contentedly, knowing that the journey these two would need to take would be exhausting but oh so worth it. Severus tightened his grip on Harry’s shoulder and was graced with a sweet smile as the boy turned around.

Finally, Bagman stopped speaking and the Champions were freed. A large part of Severus wished to scurry his son away, hide him from the children who were too loud and the adults who were too nosy, but the rational part knew that was not appropriate. Harry would want to see his friends and even if the situation may be a bit much, it would be better to face it now while they were together rather than in the common room later tonight.

However, his fear of being bombarded with people was quickly dismissed. When the pair left the tent they were greeted by a small number of students, Miss Granger, Mr. Longbottom, and the Weasley Twins stood in front of a small crowd. Behind them stood Harry’s Slytherin classmates, all calmly speaking to Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy.

Severus paid very little attention to the interaction between Longbottom, the Weasley’s and his son. There were hugs and jokes he did not care much to be a part of. However, when Miss Granger pulled his son close into her arms, he did pay attention. He noticed how the girl kissed his cheek and held him tightly for what seemed like far too long.

_Merlin, when did that happen? How did I not know he was dating the Granger Girl? How the hell do I deal with this!_ He had not taken into account that he had adopted a teenager… a hormonal teenager who may be having crushes and relationships.

His thoughts were interrupted by a petite hand on his shoulder. “You know, usually it is the job of the girl’s father to shoot daggers at a boy when they are touching their child.” Severus turned to look at Narcissa, who had snuck away from the group of Fourth-years and come to his side. Everything about this woman screamed elegance, from her silk black robes to her pale hair that was twisted up out of her face and held back with a silver dragon clip. Her expression was subtle, but Severus could see a mischievous smirk as she teased him.

“What can I say, I believe in equal treatment, you know I have always been a feminist,” he replied sarcastically. Narcissa laughed and leaned close to press a kiss to his cheek.

“Whatever you say, my dear. Now, could you stop glaring at the girl and introduce me to your son?” she said, rolling her eyes.

Ever the gentleman, Severus extended his arm to the aristocratic woman and walked over to his son and Miss Granger. Though Harry had grown immune to his withering stare, Granger had not and quickly said goodbye when the older duo approached.

“Harry, I would like to introduce you to a dear friend of mine. This is Narcissa Malfoy, Narcissa, my son, Harrison Potter-Snape.” Though unnecessary, Severus felt the need to be incredibly formal, as he was taught these formalities from the woman standing next to him.

Harry, taking a cue from his father straightened his back and spoke clearly in response. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Lady Malfoy,” he then extended his hand to shake hers and turned to his father, seeking approval and confirmation that he had responded correctly. Severus nodded back and was overcome with pride knowing this sort of social interaction was new for him. So many things in one day and still his boy was sweet, polite, and respectful.

“None of that, you’ll call me Aunt Cissa like all the others in your year,” she smiled sweetly down at Harry, and Severus could see that she had already been won over by Harry’s charms. Much like Draco, Narcissa was the ultimate mother hen, usually using her wealth to spoil and care for those around her. “You are family now, especially since I see Severus as a little brother, so there is no need to stand on ceremony with me.”

Harry smiled sweetly and nodded his head, but said no more. It seemed like this may be all too much for him at the moment, so Severus made a point to excuse his son.

“Harry, I believe that your housemates have filled the common room with food to celebrate the end of the first task with you, would you like to go with Draco and Blaise and join them?” he asked. Even if Harry wasn’t in the mood for partying, which seemed likely, he would be free to retire to his room.

“Yes please,” he responded before turning to Lucius and Narcissa. “It was lovely to meet you Aunt Cissa, and I am glad I was able to be reintroduced to you, Mr. Malfoy. I look forward to seeing you again soon.” He then extended his hand to Cissa, which she promptly shooed away to embrace Harry. When Harry extended his hand to Lucius, the older man grasped it firmly and shook it.

“If my wife is Aunt Cissa I think it would be appropriate if you called me Uncle Lucius… only if you wish,” he said, shocking those present. The only friends of Draco’s who were excused from formalities were Theo and Blaise, and that was mainly because they had all been friends since birth and spent most holidays together. It seemed Harry’s charms could win over even the toughest of Slytherins.

“Okay, Uncle Lucius.” Harry walked away and turned towards his friends only to turn back around and walk over to Severus. Without preamble, Harry wrapped his arms around Severus’ middle and rested his head on his chest.

“See you tomorrow?” he asked

“I’ll see you tomorrow. I am very proud of you, son.” Severus said back, carding his fingers through Harry’s hair. When he said ‘son’ he felt Harry smile against his chest, solidifying his determination to call him ‘son’ as often as possible, until the phrase sunk in.

When Harry let go he smiled up at Severus and walked over to his friends, who had both just finished their goodbyes with the Malfoys. As the trio walked away, Cissa and Lucius came to Severus’ side, smirking like a pair of Cheshire cats.

“Well, Lucius said fatherhood suited you, but I didn’t believe him. It seems I was mistaken.” Cissa said, wrapping her arm through his as they walked the grounds.

“He’s a good kid, I want to be a good father to him. I am trying.” He said honestly. He knew he would need their help at some point, they had years of preparation for parenting, he had weeks and for the most part, he was winging it.

“He seems it. May we go to your quarters, Severus? I have some questions I think will be best asked in private.”

Severus nodded and began walking with the pair to the side of the castle. As a professor, there were hidden doors and passageways that only he and other professors could access, luckily for him this meant avoiding the many people walking about the castle after the task.

There were many ways this conversation could go, he thought to himself. It could be about switching sides, the Malfoys have always been logical, strategic people who never made a decision without every bit of information.

It could be them asking for more details about his adoption, which would be even trickier without Harry present. Though he trusted these two with his life, he knew Harry did not yet have that relationship with them. Therefore he would be sharing minimal details about Harry’s past, at least until Harry permitted him to share more.

When the three arrived in Severus’ sitting room, Severus made a bee-line to the liquor cabinet that sat to the side. After pouring everyone a glass of firewhiskey, Severus took his seat on his chair and faced his friends who sat together on the couch.

“We have a lot of questions, Severus and frankly I do not know if there is a gentle way to begin, so I shall be blunt,” Cissa said, taking another fortifying swig of her drink. “Why did you adopt Mr. Potter? You said in your letter that the boy was being abused but for years we heard otherwise from both you and Draco. Was this a recent change?”

It took a moment for Severus to find the words he needed, but when he spoke his voice was strong and steady, unlike how he felt inside. “It is not my story to tell in full, but Draco and I were both sorely mistaken when we judged Harry. His treatment in his previous residence was that of an abused house-elf, not a prince. If at some point he trusts you both more either he will tell you more, or, if I am given permission, I will give you more details.”

The two looked at each other and spoke in the way only couples could. Severus had always gotten a kick out of watching them silently communicate. A smirk or a raised eyebrow spoke volumes between the husband and wife, and it was always amusing to watch as Cissa won whatever silent battle they were having, because Cissa always won.

“You asked about lawyers to deal with the Skeeter woman, will you be needing them for… Harry’s relatives as well?” Lucius asked. Severus couldn’t help smirk at his effort to use Harry’s name instead of saying, Potter.

“I am not sure. I am leaving that decision in Harry’s hands. I want him to be in control of the situation. If he does wish to press charges I will let you know… if he does not…” He smirked at his friend and then looked down at his hands. A large part of him wanted to cause the Dursleys extreme pain, he could use every spell he had learned as a death eater spy and would enjoy each scream. But he couldn’t, he needed to be an example, he needed to show that violence was not the answer, no matter how satisfying.

“You’ll need me to hide the body?” Lucius said, knowing Severus too well to not understand the way his mind worked.

“If only… I can’t hurt them without hurting Harry. I need him to see that he can have power without being physically or magically violent.” Severus threw back his drink and set his glass to the side. He would never have more than two drinks, no matter the circumstances. He would not be his father.

Cissa reached forward and grabbed Severus’ hand, smiling slyly at him like she had won the lottery.

“And now you know what it means to be a father, doing what is best for your child even when you want something else.”

Lucius, in turn, raised his glass to his friends and laughed

“Welcome to parenthood, Sev.”

* * *

Harry followed Blaise and Draco back to the dungeon in a daze. Somehow he had done it; gotten past the dragon and completed the first task. He didn’t care about his placement, though it was nice to have done so well, all he cared about was knowing he was alive, a thought that was strange for the boy who had on many occasions wished for death.

Harry looked at the two boys walking beside him and was overcome with pleasant warmth; he had never felt so cared for before in his life. Sure, the Weasley’s had been amazing to him, but there was something about the quieter, gentler, calming affection he had experienced from the Slytherins. Where Mrs. Weasley showed her caring through loud exclamations of love and large amounts of food, the snakes took a more subtle approach. Harry had seen how his housemates had directed the other Slytherins away as Harry was introduced to the Malfoy’s. He had noticed that no one spoke ill of Hermione as she hugged him after the task, though he had expected someone to call her a mudblood or say something rude, instead they stood by silently supporting him and blocking others from interrupting.

Blaise looked over and caught Harry’s eye, he gave the boy a sheepish smile and put his arm over Harry’s shoulder, holding him close.

“Whatcha thinking about, Dragon Slayer?” he said softly, a playful smirk on his face, likely finding himself clever for coming up with that nickname.

“Please don’t call me that.” Harry laughed, leaning into the boy embrace. “I was thinking… I am really happy that I’m in Slytherin.”

Both Blaise and Draco stopped walking to stare at Harry, surprised grins on their faces before Draco stepped closer to the attached duo.

“Can I hug you, Harry?” the blonde said, waiting for Harry to nod his consent. Most everyone in his house had taken to asking his permission before touching him. At first, Harry had felt strange being asked, and had feared his new friends knew about his past. But as time went on he began to cherish this small gesture.

At once he was surrounded by the two snakes; boys who had only a year ago been strangers and enemies but today were close to being brothers and… he couldn’t quite think of the word for Blaise. Best friend didn’t seem right, as the boy had already become more than just a friend, but no other word came to mind just yet, for now, Harry simply thought of the Italian boy as ‘his’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Latin words Sanctimonia Vincet Semper are on the Malfoy Family Crest. It means Purity Will Always Conque


	31. Goodnight Dragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you may have noticed, I have added a few tags. The most important being 'Trauma-Induced Age Regression'. For clarification, this is not Age-play or anything like that. This is a common experience for people who have survived trauma and abuse as a child. It is used as a coping mechanism and is even encourage through forms of therapy to help survivors process their abuse in a safe headspace. I promise we will be explored in later chapters with a scientific / psychology based definition and explanation. I wanted to call this out because some people have noticed and commented on Harry's age-regression and I thought it would be best to say this now, especially with this chapter!

The party in the dungeons had been a bad idea, Draco was sure of that as he stood beside Harry, keeping watch over the small boy in a sea of green. Though it may have seemed fun to celebrate the boy’s victory, the older students who organized the festivities didn’t know their champion; Draco did.

He knew this wasn’t the right environment for Harry tonight; it was too much for the restless child. He didn’t like seeing Harry surrounded by so much noise; he noticed each flinch when a student would get too close and each surprised jump when someone would yell too loudly. Draco knew only three things were keeping Harry grounded; Mira wrapped snugly around his neck, Draco’s presence on his left, and Blaise’s on his right, both doing their best to keep people at a friendly distance.

How quickly his feelings had changed still shocked the blonde, but there was no denying how he felt; Harry was his responsibility, his to keep safe, his to care for. Within the span of a few weeks, Harry had become the little brother Draco had always longed for.

The other Slytherins begrudgingly accepted his coddling, often making jokes about his over-protective nature and need to ‘mother’ those he cared about. Harry was different, he seemed to thrive and enjoy Draco’s overbearing tendencies. He would smile sweetly and blush at the littlest gesture; whether it is adding food to his plate or fixing his hair — _which truly is dreadful and needs to be handled, _his eyes would light with gratitude, and that only made Draco want to care for him more.

Today had been difficult for the Slytherin Fourth-Years, while most of the school cheered enthusiastically for their two champions, the group of snakes silently prayed for the safety of their new friend. Compared to the dragon, Harry had looked like a fly buzzing around the beasts head, and at each turn, it seemed he would, at best, be swatted out of the air. Draco could not bear to think of the worst-case scenario of how today could have turned out.

And so, he stayed as close to Harry as possible, forcing bites of food into his hands at any opportunity and keeping the vultures at bay.

It had only been a few hours, but Draco could see that Harry was already exhausted and had reached his limits for socializing. He had sympathy for Harry in moments like this, he had always believed that the Boy-Who-Lived enjoyed his fame, but it was painfully obvious the introvert would much rather be invisible in times like this.

Draco reached behind Harry to tug on Blaise’s shirt, getting his attention. When the Italian looked up, Draco nodded to Harry and then looked pointedly up to the dorms, hopefully getting his message across; luckily for him, Blaise seemed to be thinking the same thing.

“Harry, how about Draco and I deal with everyone and you go upstairs? You look exhausted.” Blaise said sweetly, resting his hand on Harry’s shoulder.

The budding relationship between these two was adorable, if not sickeningly sweet. Draco often wanted to laugh at Harry for being so oblivious to Blaise’s flirting, but refrained, assuming Harry would get it eventually… either that, or Blaise would realize that subtlety would not work on the former Gryffindor.

Draco watched as Harry’s head lolled to the side and his cheek rubbed against Blaise’s hand. The gesture must have been sub-conscience because when Harry opened his eyes and looked at Draco his head straightened and he nodded, a pale pink blush rising in his cheeks.

Draco and Blaise stood together and watched as Harry made his way up to the dorms by himself. As expected, multiple people accosted the duo asking where Harry had gone and demanding answers to their mundane questions about the task. The two deflected as best they could, and twenty minutes later, Draco was following in Harry’s footsteps and making his way to the dorms.

He arrived to find Mira in her terrarium and Harry already asleep, lying atop the covers still in his dirty flying robes, shoes, and glasses.

_How did this silly guy get anything done without me?_ Draco thought as he moved forward to help his friend get ready for bed. Before waking him up Draco gently removed his shoes and socks and placed them at the side of his bed. Then he moved to the head of the bed and began rubbing circles in Harry’s shoulder.

“Harry, you can’t sleep in your robes, they’re filthy. You need to wake up for just a little while longer, okay?” He spoke in a firm but gentle voice, hoping to convey a bit of authority. It likely hadn’t worked because the teenager let out disgruntled moans and curled tighter into himself.

“Come on Harry, I’ll help you get changed so you don’t have to get up for long.” He carded his hand through the black curls before gently gripping Harry’s arm and yanking him upright.

The effect was immediate, the once sleeping boy was now completely alert and on his feet, fear present in his eyes. Draco hadn’t known where his misstep had been, but he had clearly caused his little friend pain.

“Harry, it’s just me. It’s ok little guy, it’s just me, Draco.” He slowly approached Harry with his hands held up in surrender. He stayed a little distance away as Harry scanned the room, his stance was tight and his hands had already begun to shake.

Finally, Harry made eye contact with Draco, who looked deeply into the once bright emerald orbs. Now, those eyes looked glassy and distant, like he was seeing something that wasn’t truly there. Harry continued looking around the room until he seemed to come to his senses, realizing where he was. Harry looked at Draco once more before he quickly looked down to the floor, but Draco had already seen the beginnings of tears rolling down his cheeks.

“Hey, it’s okay.” He continued to move forward, slowly raising his hands to brush the tears from Harry’s cheeks. “I just didn’t want you sleeping in your flying robes; I guess I was a bit too forceful trying to wake you up. I’m sorry Harry; I didn’t mean to scare you.”

The floodgates seemed to break after Draco’s apology and what had been silent tears turned to full sobs as Harry launched himself into Draco’s arms. To say he hadn’t expected this was an understatement. Harry and he had shared a few hugs since the small dark-haired boy had joined Slytherin House, but the only person who had been permitted this level of contact had been Blaise; until today.

There they stood, locked in each other's arms as Harry unburdened himself, allowing tears to drip down onto Draco’s shoulders. He did not care though, he only held him tighter, tangling his hands in Harry’s black tresses and cooing sweetly to the small boy hoping to calm his frayed nerves.

After a while, Harry’s sobs died down and his breathing slowed to a normal pace, though interrupted by the occasional hiccup, which Draco couldn’t help but find adorable. Still, he held tightly onto Harry, waiting until he extracted himself from the blonde’s arms.

“Do you want me to help you get ready for bed, little one?” He hadn’t meant to use the term of endearment, but it seemed so right. He was his little one, his little brother for all intents and purposes.

Harry was still shaking slightly and looked down at the floor before nodding. As Draco moved behind him to help guide his robes off his shoulders he heard his friend faintly whisper, “I’m scared, please don’t hate me.”

“I could never hate you, never again. You’re my family now, my little one. It is impossible for me to hate you, Harry.” He continued to help; moving to Harry’s front and noticing that Harry’s shaking hands could not undo the buttons on his shirt. Draco gently pushed his hands aside and took over, making quick work on the blouse and tossing it onto Harry’s trunk.

It was then he noticed the faint scars that littered his chest and seemed to wrap around to his back. He ignored them, believing that Harry would react negatively if he drew attention to the marks. Instead, he rummaged through Harry’s trunk and found a tee-shirt, sweat pants, and clean boxers. When he turned back to the boy he was greeted to the view of Harry’s back.

It took everything within Draco to not fall to the floor in tears, his little brother had been hurt and he could do nothing. It felt like hours, but had only been seconds, as Draco stared openly at Harry’s marred flesh. The patterns of scars traced his back like Zebra stripes, distorting his flesh to the extreme, it seemed like no inch had been left untouched.

Draco returned to face Harry and brushed the new tears off his face. “Arms up, little one,” Draco said, holding the tee-shirt out to him. Harry complied and raised his arms above his head, looking more like a toddler than a teenager. When Harry’s head popped out through the neck hole of the shirt, he giggled softly and brought his hands to his mouth, trying to cover up the laughter.

Draco held out the boxers and sweatpants to Harry. “I’ll turn around so you can do this yourself, okay?” Harry nodded and Draco quickly turned away to offer a semblance of privacy. He could have sent Harry to the bathroom or left the room himself, but he felt that he needed to stay close.

As Harry dressed, Draco processed this new information. The Fourth-years had all believed that Harry had been hurt quite badly before coming into their house. They had noticed the signs quite quickly, his flinching and shaking were dead giveaways. That, along with his reactions to touch without express permission spoke volumes, especially given his desire for platonic closeness in most situations. The snakes had come to the conclusion that he likely experienced some form of abuse at his previous home. Draco had seen similar reactions from other friends and fellow students before; most Pureblood households could be cruel when it came to punishments, and Draco had always known which of his friend's parents were more than happy to raise their wand at their children. However, he could never have expected this.

_How could someone hurt a boy like Harry?_ He asked himself. It had taken very little for the group to begin loving their new member. He was sweet, shy, and forgiving to a fault. He should have never forgiven Draco or Snape in all honesty, but he had. How could someone inflict so much pain on a boy who gave others so much joy?

A small hand came to rest on Draco’s shoulder, guiding him to turn around. Harry had stopped crying, though the tear tracks were still visible on his face. He had a shy smile on his face as he opened his arms, asking to be held again, which Draco gladly did.

Behind his back, Draco summoned a clean flannel washcloth and used Aguamenti and a light warming charm on it before pulling out of Harry’s arms. He gently led Harry to sit on his bed and began washing his face, cleaning the dried salty tears off his cheeks and wiping the sweat from his brow.

Harry leaned into each caress of his face, and slowly his lids began to droop, each time he blinked it took longer for those emerald eyes to open again. Draco tossed the wet cloth onto Harry’s trunk along with his other dirty clothing and pulled back the boy’s sheets so he could get settled in for the night.

Once Harry was lying down, Draco brought the covers over his small boy and gently tucked him in, brushing his hair back from his face and placing a sweet platonic kiss on his forehead.

“Goodnight, little one,” he said softly. He hadn’t expected a response and was astonished when he heard the boy reply.

“Thank you for taking care of me Draco, I always wanted a brother.” When Draco turned around Harry was already asleep. For a moment he had thought he imagined the whole exchange, but he was not that hopeful or creative, so it must have been real.

As he walked back down to the common room he couldn’t help but smile. Though this moment had begun from a place of pain, Draco knew he would cherish this memory forever, for this was the moment that Harry Potter officially became the little brother he had always longed for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many people have been very excited for a 'big brother Draco' chapter and here it is. I loved the idea of Draco calling Harry 'little one' my sisters sometimes call me Babycakes so I thought it would be fun for Draco to have a nickname for his babybro


	32. An Unexpected Task

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!!!! This chapter will talk about Suicidal Ideations! I promise this story will not include a suicide attempt, I know that can be very triggering and would have put that in the tags beforehand! However, as Harry heals there will be more discussions about his depression and suicidal ideations in future chapters, I promise nothing will be graphic!

He awoke with a start to the sound of a child screaming, the sound of agony piercing his ears and striking terror into his heart. Suddenly the lights of the dorm room had turned on, and as Blaise pushed back the bottle green, velvet curtains of his four-poster bed, he saw that the other boys had all been awoken by the scream as well, all having left their beds; all except one.

Rushing to the bed beside him, Blaise pulled back the curtain to reveal a heart-wrenching sight. Harry twisted around in his sheets; the cloth woven so tightly around him it looked as though he were wrapped in Devils Snare. The back of his tee-shirt was drenched with sweat and plastered to his skin. He saw tears running down his face, contorted in pain from the dream he was trapped in.

“No, don’t let it eat me. I don’t wanna die anymore. Help me! Don’t let it eat me!” the small boy said, over and over, begging for help from the danger in his mind. His voice sounded so young and innocent, but the words held so much pain. _I don’t wanna die anymore_, Blaise could barely process the meaning behind that, so instead, he focused on the green-eyed boy in need of help.

Blaise looked up to see that Draco had taken the other side of the bed. The two looked at one another, both sharing the same expression of despair and sadness. Draco had heard Harry’s words too, _I don’t wanna die anymore_, but they seemed to both understand that they were not the people to deal with this particular situation. If they wanted to help, Harry needed to wake up.

Draco broke eye contact first and began working to gently wake Harry from his nightmare, he rubbed his back and spoke to him in a tone so soft and sweet it could only be the sound of a loving, over-protective older brother.

“Little one, nothing can hurt you. I won’t let anything happen to you; I promise. But I need you to wake up, little one.” Draco said, and Blaise took notice of the new nickname fit Harry so well, and the sweetness in Draco’s tone seeped through each word.

“Harry, sweetie, it’s okay. Wake up, you’re safe.” Blaise spoke in a firm but gentle voice, his hand instinctively moving to Harry’s head, to try and smooth down the always un-tidy locks. He could hear Draco continuing to speak similarly beside him.

“Hey little one, you’re safe. Blaise and I are right here, we won’t let anything hurt you. You can wake up now, little one.” There were tears in the blonde’s eyes as he spoke. Draco was so receptive to other's pain; it was often like he felt it himself. Blaise looked at his friend of so many years, so unnerved by the sight before him; his hands shaking slightly and sweat dripping from his brow. But Draco did not move, refusing to be anywhere but by Harry’s side.

It had been ingrained in many, if not all, Slytherin males to never show emotions. Feelings were seen as a sign of weakness and they were taught that they should be hidden away. But as he watched his friend work to coax Harry, a boy he had begun to care for immensely, out of his nightmare, Blaise couldn’t see anything but strength. Though he hid it so well to others, Draco’s strength was his love for those he considered family.

The two boys continued trying to gently wake Harry up, with the other boys in the dorm watching. It seemed like hours though it had only been a minute when a hand was laid on Blaise’s shoulder. He looked up to see his professor, looking alert and saddened by the display in front of him.

Snape was dressed in a black dressing-gown and slippers. His hair was loose and disheveled in a way no one had seen before, instead of lying flat and greasy, it seemed to have a slightly soft wave to it. The professor, whose appearance was cultivated to make him appear hard and emotionless, looked so deeply saddened by the sight before him, the sight of his distressed son.

“Thank you for helping him until I could get here boys,” he said as an obvious dismissal. Blaise traded places with him and moved to sit on the foot of Harry’s bed. Draco remained unmoving, refusing to be parted from the boy he considered a brother, and it seemed Snape knew better than to tell him to leave.

The snakes watched as their Head of House sat beside his son and gently worked to wake him from the terrors that plagued his dreams. Blaise had been one of the few who had seen a softer side of their professor before, but he was still taken back by the gentleness of the man he had thought he’d known.

Snape was running his long, potion-stained fingers through Harry’s curls, just as Blaise had been earlier, and whispered tender words in his ear, far too soft for those present to hear, and finally, Harry’s eyes opened.

* * *

“Don’t let it eat me, dad!”

The words were shouted in his ear as Harry wrapped his arms tightly around Severus’ neck. He felt the fabric of his black acromantula silk dressing-gown become wet as his son continued to sob on his shoulder, but he couldn’t care less. _He called me dad,_ was all he could think for a moment, before being thrust back to reality as Harry spoke between sobs.

“I don’t want to die anymore, please don’t let it eat me. I promise I’ll be good; I want to stay with you! Please don’t let it eat me, dad!” Severus tightened his hold on the weeping child, trying to not cry himself as he processed the word ‘anymore’ in his first statement. That could not be dealt with tonight; instead, it seemed Severus would need to battle the dragon that was still chasing his son.

He felt like an idiot, he should have been prepared for the Dragon to plague his son’s dreams, but he had foolishly sent his son to sleep in the dorms instead of having him in the safety of their shared quarters. Looking around for a moment, he saw nothing but genuine concern on the face of his snakes, all huddled together on the opposite side of the room to give their youngest member some semblance of privacy.

“Nothing will hurt you, my child. Hush now, I will keep you safe.” Severus continued scratching his fingers gently on Harry’s scalp, occasionally trying to smooth down his curls in vain, and slowly moved the boy to sit on his lap. The position may have been strange for a boy Harry’s age, but at this moment it seemed right to the man who had recently become his father.

He was happy to see Harry accepting the position, his arms tightening around Severus’ neck as he nuzzled his face, much like a kitten, further into his father’s shoulder. In the back of Severus’ mind, he remembered the chapter he had read on age-regression in his many psychology books. This was Harry’s coping mechanism, he knew moments like this, when Harry acted a bit younger than his actual age, would happen when things were overly stressful. He had seen the signs earlier on and prepared; he was glad to see he had acted correctly to make his son feel safe.

“Harry, my son, will you please look at me?” Severus gently asked, waiting for his boy to extract his head from its place, hiding in the space between his neck and shoulder. The boy looked so young in this moment, his bloodshot green eyes looking up at his father, so scared and yet so trusting.

“Good boy, Harry. Can you practice the breathing exercises we have been working on now?” the sweet child nodded in confirmation before Severus continued. “Good, you are doing so well, my son.” Harry smiled adorably, though tears still ran down his cheeks, at the confirmation of Severus’ parentage, and in turn, Snape tucked away the information, knowing now to call him ‘son’ often.

Severus rubbed Harry’s back and spoke gently to him as the boy worked to slow his breathing.

“I promise, I will always be here and keep you safe, my son. Nothing can harm you, not a dragon or any other beast whilst I am here.” He paused to wipe some tears off Harry’s cheek with the pad of his thumb and gave in to the compulsion to press a kiss to the boy’s forehead.

“I don’t want to die, dad… Life just started getting good… and I really like being your son… but I’m so scared!” Harry spoke between breaths, each inhale broken by a hiccup or a sob. His voice sounded defeated as he spoke, like he had already resigned himself to a disastrous fate. Severus knew he had been conditioned to think this way; the past few years at Hogwarts had only solidified Harry’s belief that he would live a short life.

“You will not die; not for many many years. You will be my son for a very long time, long enough that you will get sick of me and will fight with me as most teenagers do.” He felt Harry vibrate as he laughed at Severus’ joke. “How about we go back to our rooms? I think you might be a bit more comfortable there and then tomorrow… or I guess later today, we can have a lazy breakfast together, how does that sound?”

He waited patiently for Harry to answer, remembering that his readings had stressed the importance of decision making for children who had grown up in abusive environments. Though it was Severus’ desire to whisk Harry away to safety, he knew it needed to be the boy’s choice.

Luckily, Harry seemed to agree, because after a moment’s hesitation he nodded his head in agreement and moved to stand up from Severus’ lap. Upon standing, Harry began to take in his surroundings and noticed the presence of his dorm mates, all huddled together on Goyle’s bed. Harry blushed a bright red and opened his mouth to speak but was swiftly cut off by Blaise as he stepped closer to Harry.

“Don’t even think about apologizing, Harry. We are glad we could help you until your dad got here and would all gladly do it again if needed.” Blaise moved to hug Harry, and Snape watched as his son gladly accepted, melting into the Italian’s embrace. “Good, sleep well darling, we will all be here for you tomorrow.”

Once separated, Severus guided Harry away from the dorm and back to their living quarters, a small part of his brain thinking that maybe he didn’t have to worry about Miss Granger and instead should be keeping a close eye on a boy from his own house.

Another matter for another time, he supposed, quickly adding this new information to the long list of things for Severus to investigate at a later date. At present, his priority was getting his son calm, into clean clothes, and in bed. Hopefully, he could get an adequate amount of rest. Severus knew he would get none, but that was of little consequence to him, he had too much to do, to plan, so he could help his boy.

Finally, they were in the safety of their rooms, and Severus was able to usher Harry into the bathroom with a clean set of night clothes, after performing a cleaning charm on him. A shower would have been better to remove the layer of sweat and tears that coated Harry’s skin, but he didn’t think Harry had the energy to remain standing under the warm water. Severus waited patiently for Harry to dress, and when he left the bathroom, he guided him to his bed. As he tucked his child in, he felt a tiny hand grasp his wrist, and looked up into scared green eyes.

“Can you stay? At least until I fall asleep?” he asked in a small timid voice, the fear of rejection blatantly obvious in his tone. Once again, Severus was struck by how young Harry seemed in these moments. The Wizarding World saw his son as a hero or a maniac, they treated him as they treated Wizards who were legally of age, but Severus could see that Harry was still a child inside, a child longing for the love and affection he had been denied for too many years.

“Of course, I will gladly stay.” And so, Severus took off his shoes and placed them on the side of the bed before resting on top of the covers. He felt the tension in the boy’s body relax and after mere moments of silence, he heard the faint snoring of a sleeping child.

Severus stayed on the bed with Harry for a while, just looking down at his small boy and contemplating his next move. The boy needed a healer, and possibly medications; that was the top of the list.

_I don’t want to die anymore_, those words replayed over and over in his mind, reminding him of the serious situation he was in. _The biggest threat to my son may not be a dragon, or tournament, or even the Dark Lord. The biggest threat to Harry’s life may very well be his own mind_, Severus thought.

He remembered his own thoughts of suicide, the way they ate at him and at times still continued to do so. He had compared his depression to a slow-acting poison; you could not tell it was in you at first, it would slowly drain the life out of you and cause you pain, until one day you were left begging for death.

He was all too familiar with those feelings and knew that Harry would need a healer, just as he had all those years ago. Severus looked once more at his sleeping son, so exhausted from his physically and emotionally draining day that he had passed out the moment he was somewhere he felt safe. That thought made Severus swell with pride, he felt useful, needed, and accomplished that he could give this peace to the child who seemed to never have had it before.

Tomorrow he and Harry would talk about finding professional help for his son, and hopefully, find a way to heal the years of damage that had been done, because Severus refused to believe it was too late.

Severus leaned down and pressed another kiss to Harry’s forehead before getting out of bed and making his way to his desk to write a note to Healer Jennette. Hopefully, his old mind healer would know someone who could help his son.


	33. Breakfast in Bed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SoooOooOO... I thought it was Tuesday and almost forgot to upload.... but I didn't! So its okay! lol

A throbbing headache woke him up hours later. Harry refused to open his eyes, knowing the day ahead would be a terror if this was the pain he woke up with. He worked to lick away the drool on the side of his mouth and found that his tongue felt like cotton.

Finally opening his eyes, he was surprised to realize he was not in the dorms. Instead of the bottle-green velvet of his bed-curtains, he was greeted to the cream-colored walls of his bedroom. The enchanted window near his desk depicted the Quidditch pitch, as Harry had come to favor, bathed in the gentle glow of the rising sun. Harry usually cherished this moment, but today the soft light only sent pain to his already aching head.

As if sensing his discomfort, the image in the window went blank, plummeting his room into darkness. This was not better, but before his fear of the dark could take hold, Harry’s door was opened and a slim, tall, dark figure entered.

“Harry? Are you awake child?” Severus’ usually calming velvety voice sent another shooting pain through Harry’s skull and pulled a pained whimper from his lips.

He felt a weight pushing on the mattress and long fingers brush over his forehead. “Sit up and I’ll give you a pain potion,” Severus whispered in the softest tone possible. Harry worked to shift into a seated position, moving slowly and using his father for support, as to not add to his pain. When he finally was upright, resting his back on the headboard, a potion vial was pressed to his lips.

Harry was once again reminded of his great love of magic as the potion quickly worked its way into his system, eradicating his headache and any lingering fatigue from the day before. He looked over to his enchanted window, and it once again graced him with the scene of a dimly lit Quidditch pitch.

“How about breakfast in bed today?” Severus asked, taking the empty vial and putting it in the pocket of his robe.

“I must have really lost it last night if you are willing to let me eat in bed,” Harry said, remembering his dad’s rule about food. According to Severus, people should only eat in bed if they were ill or injured; civilized people did not eat where they slept.

“Yes, well… you are still recovering, so I believe you could be considered ‘injured.’ We will have lots to talk about today, I think a relaxing day in bed would be good for you. If you would rather go to the Great Hall or eat in the living room we can always do that instead, I just want you to be comfortable.” Severus spoke evenly, giving no indication as to what he wanted to discuss, but Harry was already slightly on edge.

“What do we need to talk about?” he asked shyly. Swiftly, Harry was moved from leaning against the headboard to resting against Severus’ shoulders.

“You did so well yesterday and I am so proud of you for all you accomplished, Harry. However, I think we should talk through many of the events that took place. It was a taxing day on you and I want to make sure you are recovering well.”

Harry soaked up the praise and melted deeper into Severus’ embrace. Yesterday had sucked, so it made sense that Severus wanted to talk about it.

“But first, breakfast! Winnie!” Severus spoke clearly and the little elf appeared at Harry’s bedside.

“Oh Master Snape and Little Master! What can Winnie bes getting you?” The excitable elf asked, bouncing slightly on her toes.

“I’ll take my usual. Harry, what do you want for breakfast today? Do you want the usual or something else?”

Harry’s head immediately went to pancakes with raspberry jam and bacon, but he doubted that was allowed with his strict diet. He looked at his dad and was about to just ask for the usual when he was cut off.

“You may have whatever you want today, Harry. You have been doing marvelously, eating healthy, and putting on weight, you deserve a treat day I think.” Severus smirked at him, his eyebrow raised quizzically.

“Can I have my chocolate drink… thing and pancakes with raspberry jam and bacon… oh and fruit!”

The elf nodded enthusiastically and popped away to grab their breakfasts, coming back seconds later with Severus’s French press.

“Raspberry jam, not maple syrup?” Severus asked.

“I just really like raspberry all of a sudden,” he answered with a shrug. He had not always been partial to the fruit, but recently he had begun to crave it!

“As am I, possibly a side effect of the adoption. You may have inherited some of my likes and dislikes… if I find you sneering at first-years we will know for certain.”

Harry giggled at the joke and was still laughing when the food arrived. The sweet smell filled his nostrils and his mouth began to water. Though he had become accustomed to his newfound accessibility to food, it still astounded him how lucky he was that it was all so delicious.

Before he picked up his fork, Severus handed him his morning nutrient potion, which he happily knocked back.

“I think we may be able to either cut down on that potion or stop it all together soon. You have been growing so well it may not be needed anymore,” Severus said in a fond tone. Harry grinned up at him with a mouth full of fluffy pancakes. He did not dislike the potion but it would be nice to not need to take them in front of people.

“So, what exactly do you want to talk about?” Harry asked before shoveling another fork of pancake into his mouth.

“The more important thing is what **you** feel we should discuss? I do have some questions, but I would like you to speak freely about yesterday’s events first. However, I think going into this now may turn into a choking hazard, so let us wait until we are done eating.” Severus tapped his finger to Harry’s nose, causing the young boy to giggle once more, and then Severus returned to his fry-up.

So, as usual, the two ate in comfortable silence. Nestled together in bed Harry couldn’t help but think of the many times he had served his relative's breakfast in bed. When Dudley was younger they would have breakfast in bed every Sunday, snuggled together watching cartoons. Harry would carry heavy trays up the stairs to them and then return to the kitchen to clean. But now it was his turn, _for now, little freak._

When breakfast was finished and cleared the two settled a little lower in Harry’s bed, working to get as comfortable as possible. Harry was not looking forward to this, but if Severus thought it was for the best… well, he had yet to lead him astray.

“I don’t know how to start…” Harry said, letting the sentence drift and fade into nothing. He knew his father could help him, and so he waited patiently for his response.

* * *

“I don’t know how to start…”

That made sense, Severus thought as he took in the sight of his son nestled in his arms. As far as he knew, yesterday, his son had been swarmed by reporters, chased by a dragon, had two major panic attacks, and met the members of a family he had previously thought would want him dead, and then finished the night with a terrifying dream of being eaten by a dragon; a dream that had almost been a reality. He felt certain there were gaps in his story, but those events were enough to cause extreme distress to the already fragile boy’s psyche.

“Well, let us start with the simplest parts. How are you feeling physically right now? Do you still have any pain or soreness? You woke up with a headache, is that gone or do you need another pain potion.”

Harry paused and looked over himself, seeming to take stock of his limbs before looking back up.

“No, everything seems good.” He said with a shy smile.

“That’s good, I’m glad to hear that. If that changes you must tell me, son. I do not want you suffering in silence.” He had been reminding Harry of things like this for over a month, but he felt certain he would need to continue for quite some time before the message fully set in.

“Now, I think this part may be a bit harder, so I would like you to take all the time you need. If there is anything you don’t want to talk about, just tell me and I will respect your wishes, is that understood?”

He waited for Harry to nod before continuing. Though it may have been better for Harry to speak freely, Severus could see that his son would need some prompting.

“Yesterday was a big day, a lot of things happened within an incredibly short time frame and I think it would be best if we processed them. So will you tell me a bit about how you were feeling before the task and how you feel about it now?”

Severus began rubbing soothing circles into Harry’s arm, waiting for him to speak.

“Well, when we were waiting I was mostly just scared. I know we practiced but I kept thinking I would do it wrong and disappoint you or end up getting killed.”

“You could not have disappointed me. Throughout this Tournament know that I will never be disappointed. Whether you are in first or last place I could not care less. My only concern is your safety, understood? Please continue.”

Harry took a deep breath before speaking once more. “Then you went to speak to Mr. Malfoy and I was doing okay, still scared but you were close so if I needed you I could get you. So, I was sitting in the chair and I heard Hermione behind me, she had snuck over to wish me luck. Then Rita started talking and taking pictures, it was really loud and I didn’t really understand what was going on, I just felt frozen while hugging Hermione. Do you think she is going to put something in the Prophet? She has those pictures, and I know you said you would sue, but do they really care?”

“They will be printing nothing, Harry. One, I destroyed all their cameras when I noticed them photographing you and Miss Granger. Two, I made it known that if they did go against my wishes I would be involving the Malfoy lawyers… that is something that the Prophet would like to avoid. Your relationship with Miss Granger is not going to be public news unless you wish it to be… though I do wish you had informed me.”

He added this bit, hoping that Harry would confirm or deny his suspicions. Either way, he would have one fewer student to concern himself with; if Harry and Hermione were an item, Blaise would not be an issue. If they were not, then Severus would need to keep a close eye on Mr. Zabini

Harry looked confused at him and then began giggling. “EW, I’m not in a relationship with Hermione, she’s like my sister!” He continued laughing for quite some time and Severus couldn’t help but join in. This made life a bit easier for him for the moment, though he still was unsure about Zabini.

“That is good to know, so how do you feel now knowing that the Prophet won’t be an issue?”

“Better I guess. I don’t want Hermione to have to deal with people being mean to her, and I hate people talking about me… though I guess I don’t really have a choice about that, do I?”

Harry looked down at his lap when he said this, the picture of defeat. Unfortunately, the boy was right. He was Harry Potter; the Boy Who Lived, Triwizard Champion, etc and would always be in the public eye no matter how much he disliked the attention.

“You cannot control the way others behave… for the most part,” Severus added, knowing that his less than cheery attitude had given him a level of control over how people behaved. “What you can control is how you handle their words and actions. We will talk more about coping mechanisms and techniques later, but for now, remember that the people who are important know and love you. It is only people who do not know the real you that believe the lies.”

Harry burrowed even deeper into Severus’ side, and in turn, Severus pulled him closer providing as much comfort as he physically could. He had known rehashing this would be difficult, but something inside him knew it had to be done.

“Do you feel comfortable continuing Harry? We can talk about the task first or the events after the task, whichever you are more comfortable with.”

“I don’t really remember much from the task. One second I was on the ground, and the next I was in the air. I just treated it like a Quidditch match. It wasn’t until it was over that I realized what had happened. I just kept thinking someone would make me go back out there again.”

Harry’s voice had begun to shake and Severus could feel moisture pooling on his shoulder where he knew tears had begun to fall.

“That is understandable, son. When your body is under stress it fills with adrenaline to help you get through something frightening or dangerous. It is only once the danger has passed that our mind catches up and begins to process the event that has occurred. Has something like this happened to you before, Harry?”

He had a feeling he knew the answer; it seemed unlikely that this was his first experience like this. According to much of Severus’ readings, Harry’s fight or flight reflexes were likely in over-drive, which in turn would flood his system with too much adrenaline leading to toxic stress levels, another reason to get him to a therapist as soon as possible.

“I think so,” and he said no more on the matter. Severus could fill in some of the blanks; the beatings at the hand of his Uncle, the many dangers he faced each year at school, even the many recent changes in his life could be adding to his nerves.

“Alright son, you are doing so well. I am so proud of you.” Severus reached out his arm and wandlessly summoned two glasses from the kitchen area. He then proceeded to fill them with water and handed one to Harry. The crying from yesterday, as well as physical exhaustion, could lead to dehydration, and Severus was not going to allow that to happen.

“After the task, I was with you, but can you tell me more about what happened when you returned to the dorms? I was told there was a party going on.” Though he wanted to get into the dream and speak about the things Harry had said, Severus felt it was best to continue in chronological order.

At once Harry’s face dropped and he looked up at Severus with a terrified glimmer in his eye.

“Draco knows.”

Once more Harry began to shake; however, the word seemed too gentle for the uncontrollable movement. As his breathing accelerated his body seemed to vibrate, trembling violently as tears trailed down his face.

“Draco knows. Draco knows. Knows I’m a freak. Draco knows. Draco knows. Freak” Harry repeated the phrase over and over, lost in thought as the words spilled from his lips.

“Hush now, little one. No, you are not a freak, my son. Everything is okay, I am right here. Take some deep breaths for me, in… and out… good, again. In… and out.” As had become accustomed they continued like this for a while, Severus counting out Harry’s breathing and injecting praise and kind words between breaths until the small boy calmed once more.

Severus had an inkling of what Harry meant by Draco ‘knowing,’ but he had no clue how. He had not told Lucius much, so it was unlikely from his father, but somehow the blonde had gained knowledge about Harry’s past.

“What does Draco know, son?” He asked after Harry had calmed considerably, knowing he needed the full story to be able to support his son.

“I fell asleep in my robes and Draco came up to check on me. When he woke me up I… Ummm I got panicky. I kinda froze up and was crying and stuff… and he helped me get into pajamas, which was really nice, but he saw my back.” The last words were said as a whimper.

Understanding came over Severus like a wave; Draco had seen the scars on Harry’s body and now Harry was afraid, worried he had lost his new friend. He had remembered a similar fear; hiding his own scars from the boys in his dorm, never changing in front of others though it was so common in a dorm room, always staying covered no matter how hot the weather was.

“Did he say anything about your scars Harry?” He knew that Draco hadn’t; it was against the boy's very nature.

“No, he just tucked me in. But he saw the scars and now he knows I’m just a freak and he won’t want to be my friend anymore. Freaks aren’t allowed friends, or mommies, or daddies, or nice things.”

He said the last sentence with no emotion like it was a mantra drilled into his brain, and likely it was. ‘Freaks aren’t allowed mommies or daddies’ seemed like the kind of taunt one would use to hurt a small child.

Severus placed his hand under Harry’s chin and moved his face upwards, forcing him to maintain eye contact with the older wizard.

“I would like to make one thing quite clear, my son. You are not a freak. I do not ever want to hear you say that about yourself again because it is the furthest thing from the truth. You, my son, are a kind, intelligent young boy who grew up being force-fed lies. Your relatives were abusive, manipulative, liars who enjoyed hurting you because it made them feel powerful. There is nothing wrong with you and everything wrong with them.”

He expected more tears, having thought his speech was impassioned and loving. However, he was surprised that Harry’s face remained numb, as if he couldn’t form an emotion on his usually expressive face.

“I don’t know if I believe that,” was all he said in response.

“Then I will gladly spend the rest of my life proving that I am correct about this. I am very stubborn if you hadn’t noticed.” Harry gave a half-hearted laugh, but the joy didn’t reach his eyes.

“I know this is hard for you, but I promise it will get easier. It will take time, but there are things we can do to help. Harry, I think we should get you to a mind healer.”


	34. A Tale from Spinners End

“You think I’m crazy?”

He should have expected this type of reaction; it was how he had felt when therapy had been suggested to him all those years ago. He could see that Harry had some extra hurdles to jump; though Severus’ father was verbally abusive he always had his mother’s kind words to soothe him when he needed it. Harry had never had that, no one was there to remind him of their love, that he was a good boy, that he was special. All Harry had learned was that he was a freak who did not deserve basic respect and kindness.

“You are not crazy. On the contrary, you are incredibly sane and put together, especially given the horrendous way you were raised. A mind healer will be able to help you process many of the traumatic events you have been forced to live through.”

Harry looked up at Severus, disbelief still present in his eyes. Accepting help was going to be more difficult for Harry then had been for Severus all those years ago. He had learned to distrust adults, learned that he had to care for himself, and only a month with Severus was not going to change that.

Severus had come to the realization that he would, at some point, need to open up further to the boy who had become his son, but he had hoped he could avoid it for longer. He loathed to speak of his upbringing; of his father's harsh treatment and the loneliness that had led him to the Dark Lord. But his son needed to see that seeking treatment was not a weakness, but an act of strength; weren’t parents meant to lead by example anyway.

“Harry, do you think I am crazy or a freak?” Severus asked seriously, knowing the young boy still curled in his arms would never think these things about another human being. True to form Harry began to shake his head, looking up at Severus with wide, worried eyes.

“I did not think so, my son. Because ten years ago I began seeing a mind healer, and it is one of the only reasons I have the presence of mind to be a good father for you. Seeing a professional gave me coping skills and techniques that I have been able to teach you, therapy also gave me the ability to keep my own temper in check, which as you know I am famous for losing.”

“But, why can’t I just keep talking to you? Why do I have to go to a stranger?” Harry asked sweetly, his voice resembling that of a much younger child.

“Because I do not have the proper training to help you as much as you need. I can only impart my own limited knowledge and, even then, I am not in a position to always do so accurately at all times.” He would love to be everything his child needed and hated that someone else could help him more than Severus could. But he could not allow his hubris to get in the way of his son's treatment.

He once again paused to let Harry process what he had said, hoping that he would be more open to the idea of seeing of mind healer now that he knew Severus had done the same years before.

“Dad?”

The word filled Severus' stomach with bubbles as if he had drunk the sweetest champagne money could buy. How could a one-syllable word have such a profound effect on such a stoic man, he thought to himself.

“Yes, Harry?”

“Why did you need to see a mind healer?”

The all-important question; why had Severus seen a mind healer. To be honest it would be easier to list the reason he hadn’t. Between his father, his childhood poverty, the incessant bullying at Hogwarts, his time serving the Dark Lord, and his time spying he couldn’t think of many things he hadn’t needed therapy to process.

“There are many reasons I saw a mind healer, the first of which being that Lucius locked me in a room with one until I finally worked up the courage to speak.” Though at the time he had felt murderous, he now could look back fondly on the moment he had been forced into therapy. It was the first showing that someone cared for him and had solidified the bond between the two men. He hadn’t spoken with the woman the first few times Lucius had tricked him into meeting a healer, however upon the fourth visit Lucius had sat beside him and spoke of how much he and Narcissa worried about his safety. Upon hearing those words Severus had dissolved into tears, finally allowing his friends and a professional to help him.

“After the Dark Lord was finished I felt completely lost; as a spy, I had no one I could trust and had years of mental, physical, and emotional trauma that had all built up inside of me. At the time I believed asking for help would make me weaker.” Severus took a deep breath before continuing, the words he had to speak still rang false at times when he thought them about himself, but he had little doubt they applied to his son. “However, I have been reminded that asking for help is an act of bravery and strength, though it may seem like weakness at the time. Allowing yourself to trust others to help you shows incredible courage.”

“We had similar childhoods, Harry, and I never processed how that affected me as an adult. My father hated magic, much like your Uncle, and felt it was his job to rid my mother and me of ‘the devil's work’ within us. My mother tried everything to keep me safe, but it was not always enough.”

Images of his mother came to the forefront of his mind; her sad smile as she watched his first bits of accidental magic, her soothing voice as she sang him to sleep, her eyes filled with tears when he received his Hogwarts Letter. Throughout each image, he could see the presence of his father; the bruises on her arms and shoulders prominent throughout his entire childhood.

“Why did he marry her if he hated magic?”

_How do you explain that you’re a bastard to your incredibly innocent teenager?_ Severus almost wanted to laugh. “I guess the polite way to say this is to say, my mother got into a bit of trouble and my father did the honorable thing… six months later I was born.”

Harry simply nodded his understanding, though a sweet blush tainted his cheeks. Harry’s innocence was so amusing to Severus, for a boy who had experienced so much he still was naïve to many things. Though he would not relish the uncomfortable talks that would likely be in his future, he was glad he could have such a monumental parenting moment to himself, unsullied by his abusive relatives, at least he hoped it was.

“Our family was quite poor, however, my mother grew up rich, she was a member of a wealthy pure-blood family, the Princes. When she became pregnant and married my father she was disowned. I was not reinstated into the Prince line until I received my Potions Mastery and the Dark Mark. According to my grandfather, I had finally returned honor to our family. For years I didn’t touch a knut from the Prince vaults, I was ashamed of the choice I had made to join the Dark Lord, disgusted that in my grandfather’s eye following a madman made me worthy. It was my Mind Healer and Narcissa who encouraged me to look into the properties and assets I now owned, I had been living at Spinners End, my childhood home, and they believed it was worse for my mind to be in that environment.”

“Though the trauma of the first war was the catalyst for my… depression,” he said, stuttering over the word. He hadn’t said the word out loud in years. “my childhood was the main cause of my nightmares and anxieties. The behaviors I learned from my father's abuse were so far ingrained into my mind that years after his death I still could not escape him. I do not want that for you. I want the Dursley’s to drift from your mind, for them to be nothing but a distant memory. But that cannot happen if you do not begin to process the things they have done to you.”

“I don’t want to feel this way anymore.” Harry’s voice was so small and broken that Severus felt his heart breaking. He kept remembering a certain phrase his boy had said when he awoke from his nightmare, _I don’t want to die anymore_.

“I know, I don’t want you to feel this way anymore either. I want you to have a normal, happy life, but there are a lot of steps we will need to take together for you to heal, my son. Will you trust me? Will you please see a mind healer with me?” Severus was prepared to beg if need be, he would happily get down on his knees if it would secure him his son's consent.

“Ok dad, I trust you.”

Severus’ heart swelled with love and pride. Sweeter words could not have been spoken and Severus was astonished by the faith Harry had in him; he would not let him down as so many others had.

Needing to lighten the mood, Severus mentally grasped at straws to find a way to make his son smile. Flying would have been his usual suggestion, but it was out of the question after yesterday.

Looking around the room he remembered a promise made to his son the first night he had stayed in their shared quarters.

“Would you like to start decorating your room, Harry?” It seemed like a silly task to Severus, whose own rooms at Hogwarts were also devoid of personality. But, he wanted Harry to have a space that made him feel happy, even it was just a change of the paint or the sheets in a different shade.

Harry looked around the room and frowned slightly. “I like this room. It’s the best room I have ever had, dad.”

Severus understood, he thought of his own small bedroom at Spinners End and remembered feeling overjoyed when he had been somewhere nicer for the first time. Strangely, his childhood bedroom had been bigger and nicer than anywhere Harry had previously called a ‘bedroom.’

“That isn’t saying much though is it?” Severus said, waiting for the confirming nod. “A teenage boy's bedroom shouldn’t just be a place to sleep. I want this room to reflect you, be somewhere that makes you happy, and shows your personality.”

“Okay, but I don’t really know what it would need or what I’d want. I’ve never done anything like this.” Harry sounded almost ashamed, but Severus had the perfect solution.

“I really haven’t either, but I think I know someone who would love to help out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know its not realistic for a licensed therapist to hold a patient against their will like Lucius had done to Sev.... but it fits my narrative so I went with it!


	35. Bonding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know its short! But I felt we needed some light fluff!

“Draco, a word, please.”

The blonde turned towards the voice of his Godfather and stood to walk towards him, only to be followed by the others in his year.

“I believe I only called Mr. Malfoy over,” Severus said, looking at the group of Fourth-years he was now surrounded by. He should have expected them to follow, but it seemed things were sneaking up on him today.

“How is he?” Blaise asked, looking up at his professor, his eyes pleading.

Severus let an exasperated sigh pass his lips as he looked down at the concerned fourteen-year-old students in front of him. They all had come to care for his sweet son, something that was not hard to do, and it seemed his pain broke their hearts almost as much as it hurt Severus’.

He had made a vow when he had taken the post of Slytherin Head of House to never lie to his students. He would not sugar coat the bad news for them because he knew the world at large would not be kind. So we would not tell them that Harry was fine, because he was not. One day he would be, but not today.

“He is resting, yesterday was a trying day for him and he is not in any state to be surrounded by people,” he began, his tone a bit sharper as he hoped to dissuade the children from looking for Harry. When he felt that the message was received he softened his tone once more before casting Muffliato around the group so he could speak privately.

“I am speaking as both a father and a professor when I say how thankful I am for all your actions last night and for the way you have welcomed Harry this past month. As I have stated previously, I will not be giving you details into his past or present personal life, but I will let you know that things will not be getting easier for him at any point soon and your continued support has meant the world to him. He is currently still recovering from yesterday and is not in a state to be around many people; he has given me permission to have Draco join us for a while. I promise, you will be informed when he is ready for more.”

Severus turned to leave, sensing Draco following him when he heard fast footsteps behind him. Severus turned in time to feel a hand on his arm and was met with the saddened face of Theodore Nott.

“Someone hurt him, didn’t they, sir? Before?” he asked, his expression blank except for those expressive blue eyes.

“He will tell you when he is ready,” was all he said in response, knowing that by not denying he had, in turn, told him it was true. Theo nodded and walked away, leaving Severus to continue walking with Draco. He thought about the blue-eyed boy who had just left them, and the pain that he had lived through.

Theodore was one of the few Severus couldn’t help as much as he wanted. He was able to give him safe haven; the boy spent holidays with the Malfoys or Parkinson’s, but he couldn’t take him away from his father for good, all efforts had been stopped with the right amount of money.

“Harry asked for me?” Draco asked, pulling Severus from his musings. The blonde looked up at him hopefully and smiled shyly.

“No, I was hoping to find something to distract him for the rest of the day and thought we could decorate his room… unfortunately, it seems both Harry and I have no understanding of color pallets, furnishings, or linens… but we thought you might?”

People had always said Draco was a carbon copy of Lucius, but at this moment all Severus saw was Narcissa. He positively glowed at the prospect of making over his friend's room and, much like Cissa had done to Severus’ quarters, he had no doubt the boy would make them perfect.

“Draco, I feel I must warn you that Harry is feeling particularly fragile at the moment. I know last night he opened up to you a bit; he allowed you to see his scars and help him through a panic attack. But today he is worried you will resent him for what he perceives as ‘weakness’. He is not accustomed to kindness or help from people and will be waiting for you to judge him.”

Severus looked at Draco as he absorbed each word. He could see that Draco took Harry’s recovery seriously, and though he did not yet know the extent of the damage that had been done to his son, he understood enough to know he needed to be cautious and think through his actions and words carefully.

“I understand Uncle,” he responded, his voice solemn. The two continued their walk to Severus and Harry’s room in silence. Though Severus was glad he could do something special for his son, he knew this afternoon would likely be hell for him, just like it had been last time he allowed a Malfoy to decorate a living space for him.

* * *

“To the left Uncle… no that’s too far, bring it back a bit more… there!” after hours of planning, preparations, discussions with the house-elves, and some minor transfiguration, Draco had finally given his little brother the room he deserved.

A place for the little introvert to come and relax; the soft sea-foam green walls would have a calming effect while also giving him a serene place to study, do homework, or practice spells. The bed had new sheets, now in a champagne white, and to add a bit of warmth the duvet was a rustic gold.

Some might think it was a bit too much, but Harry didn’t need a kid's room; loud colors and posters of Quidditch players would do him no good, he needed a sanctuary. A place where his overactive mind could rest, somewhere that exuded peace and quiet but didn’t feel clinical or oppressive.

The furniture had mostly stayed the same; Draco had liked how the rich, dark wood complimented the space, with one exception. After a heated debate with Severus, Draco had finally won out, and a large, navy blue couch had been added to Harry’s room. Somewhere comfortable for Harry to read so he wouldn’t stay in bed all day if he was feeling down, or a place for friends to sit if they were invited into the space.

The two boys threw themselves down on the couch together, resting after the hard work they had put into the room. Severus stood over them, gazing down fondly at his boys before shaking his head and laughing

“I guess I will figure out dinner while you two rest.” He shook his head as he left the room, muttering under his breath about ‘lazy kids’ and ‘him doing most of the lifting.’

Draco ignored his uncle and turned to Harry, who was still looking around the room in awe. Throughout the process, Severus and Draco had needed to stop several times to remind Harry that he deserved this level of attention. Each time one of them would suggest something new; bed sheets, furniture, paint, etc. he would protest, saying he didn’t need it or that they shouldn’t waste their time or money on him. The two Slytherins disagreed.

“You like it, little one?” Harry turned away from the room and smiled before scooting across the couch and hugging the blonde boy tightly.

“It is the second-best present anyone has ever given me… sorry, dad adopting me is number one.”

Draco moved his hands through Harry’s hair as he had seen his father do on multiple occasions. The motion and physical contact seemed to calm Harry, and Draco was all too happy to lend the small boy any bit of comfort he could.

“I’m glad. Because I want you to have the best of everything, little one.” Draco leaned back and pulled Harry with him until they were lounging together. “I know it hasn’t been long, and I get made fun of a bit for coddling you, but I think of you like my little brother, Harry. The brother I always wanted.”

Draco felt Harry’s arms tighten around him and continued. “You never need to tell me about… anything you don’t want to. But know that I’ll listen when you are ready, little one. I’m just so glad you’re okay and that you are now in my life, nothing else matters, little brother.”


	36. The First Step

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> This chapter involves mentions of suicidal ideations! It is very brief and non-graphic!
> 
> I have outlined this section with *************** at the beginning and end if you wish to skip it! I will but a brief outline of what you miss in the endnotes!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you may have noticed a change in formatting. I just decided I liked it better with extra space. All previous chapters have been updated to look the same!
> 
> Also, the intake interview questions were taken from the intake where I personally have therapy each week! the order of questions stayed exactly the same, and the inner dialogue was from my therapist! Thank you to my therapist, Rebecca, this character is based after her!

Getting an owl from Severus had been a surprise; she had not heard from her former patient since their last session four years ago, as he had told her quite adamantly that he was ‘fixed,’ and no longer needed a healer.

In her expert opinion, he had been wrong, but she had let him walk out of their session and expected to never see or hear from the stubborn man again. She could see that so much had changed.

Severus sat on the couch beside his son; a sentence she never thought she would think, and held his tiny shaking hand. She observed the way the small boy reacted to his adopted father, how he would lean into the older man to get further from others, how he would look to Severus for permission for the smallest things, such as when he asked for biscuits with tea. She had been warned that her intake would be for a child who had survived abuse, but she had not expected that child to be Harry Potter.

“Well Harry, how do you feel about getting started?” She waited patiently for Harry to respond, accepting his little nod before proceeding. “My name is Jennette Dawson, I am a mind healer from St. Mungo’s and I am going to be doing an intake assessment for you today. Did anyone explain what that means or what exactly we are going to be doing?”

Harry looked up at Severus, then looked down once more. “I think he did, but I don’t really remember, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, there has been a lot going on.” Jennette took note of his movements during the exchange as he once again looked to Severus before apologizing for a simple mistake. “I am going to be asking you some basic questions, we ask every patient these exact questions before they meet with a mind healer. Now you see this?” Jennette pointed to the silver bracelet on her wrist. It was plain in design except for the runes carved into the metal. “Everyone who works at St. Mungo’s is required to wear it. These bracelets are bound by our healer’s oath, which is far too long, so I will not go through it all. What I want you to know is that this means I cannot tell anyone about anything you tell me. There are a few exceptions, like if I need to speak with another healer or a parent for an emergency, but I cannot go to the press, or tell a student any information you share with me today. You will never have to worry about that.”

Harry looked relieved, as she had expected. She always reminded kids of this, but usually, the only thing they worried about was their parents. For a boy like Harry, the fear was a lot greater.

“Now, you said you wanted Severus here but since you are fourteen, he is not required to be present and you may ask him to leave at any time if you are uncomfortable answering something.”

Again, she took note of how Harry stared up at Severus before answering. “But, you won’t make him leave, right?”

_Well, dependency issues will likely be a thing, _she thought.

“No Harry, he can stay as long as you are comfortable with him being here. No one will tell him to leave… between you and me most people would be too frightened to try and tell Severus Snape to do anything.”

She had expected a barbed response from her former client, but instead, she watched as he turned to Harry and spoke softly.

“I will stay as long as you would like me to, Harry. But, at some point, you might want to talk about things without me, and that is a good thing. For today I will not leave you unless you ask me to.”

And so, they proceeded. The beginning went by in its usual blur; the questions being easy yes and no answers. She took this time to watch the child in front of her, studying his posture and taking note of his mannerisms.

He was small, much smaller than an average fourteen-year-old, and he seemed to hold himself in a position to make himself even smaller. His voice was a bit shaky when he spoke and he often turned to his father before answering questions. She paid close attention to his eyes, which were trained down at the floor when they were not seeking out Severus.

“How would you rate your current sleep habits?” She asked. Though a part of her wanted to circle the words ‘very poor,’ as she could see the dark circles under his eyes, she waited. If he lied she could always write a note on the side.

“Ummm… it’s okay I guess. I wake up a lot and sometimes I have nightmares but it’s not too bad, I’m good,” He said. She circles his answer, good, and as expected made a note for his future healer

_Dark circles under his eyes would state otherwise. It seems he has a tendency to downplay his issues._

“Do you take time to exercise throughout the week?” Most wizards didn’t unless they were Aurors or quidditch players, thinking that it wasn’t necessary. Jennette had been pushing for more exercise programs in Hogwarts but they always fell on deaf ears.

“I played quidditch a lot, but they don’t have it this year because of the tournament. So not really. Just running up and down all the stairs.” He joked, looking up shyly.

Jennette laughed at the joke, remembering how some time around the holidays some of the girls would spend extra time running up and down the staircases to ‘shed some of the holiday pudding pounds.’

“Oh, I remember, though that isn’t exactly a lot of exercise. Though it definitely feels like it.”

“Madam Pomfrey and I have been discussing adding some exercise to his weekly routine. He was extremely underweight before the adoption, so we had not wanted to add too much physical activity until he had gained a bit of weight. We had also put quite a bit off until the end of the first task.”

She glared a bit at Severus, hoping he would take the not-so-subtle reminder that this wasn’t his session and kindly shut up. Severus raised an eyebrow in question before realization shown in his eyes. Jennette waited until he looked thoroughly chastised and then proceeded to talk to Harry.

“Okay Harry, the rest of the questions are going to be a bit more personal. You don’t have to go into too much detail, but I would like for you to be as honest as possible with me. Can you do that?”

“Okay.” He said, nodding his head before lowering it once again to stare at the stone floors.

“Do you experience any difficulties with eating or appetite?” Again, the answer seemed obvious, but she had to ask. A part of her also wondered how he had become so underweight? Was it his own anxiety or was it a factor of his abuse?

“Well, sometimes I am too stressed to eat or just don’t feel hungry. But, I’ve been doing better. Dad made me a potion to help me eat more and I’m getting bigger now.” When he spoke of his father's potion a bit of excitement seeped into his voice, as though a simple nutrient potion meant as much as a toy on Christmas; and maybe to this boy they did feel the same.

“That’s good to hear, Harry!” Jennette smiled at the boy, watching him blush under her praise. Unfortunately, she knew the next question would take away the bashful smile.

“Are you currently experiencing any overwhelming sadness, grief or depression?” the question hit him fast, and he when back to curling into his body, his eyes trained at the floor.

“I don’t know, maybe?” Harry looked at his dad, but luckily Severus did not take over, as Jennette was sure Harry had hoped he would. Instead, Severus nodded for his son to continue, which he did after a few deep breaths.

“I get sad sometimes, actually it happens a lot but there isn’t always a real reason. It’s getting better but it’s still there.”

“Okay, and do you experience panic attacks or have any phobias?”

“No phobias that I know of. But, yes, I have panic attacks often. I always have but I seem to get those more now. Like I’m having more nightmares or flashbacks and I’ll start panicking. But dad's really helpful and Draco helped me once, so at least I’m not alone.” Harry scooched over and cuddled into Severus, who wrapped his arm around his son tightly.

“You are doing so well, son. I am so proud of you.” She wasn’t meant to hear these words; Severus had whispered them into Harry’s ear, but she had heard them. Jennette’s heart filled with pride for the man that had been her patient so many years ago. He had opened his heart in a way she never believed possible, and it seemed like while he had done so much good for this little boy, he had also healed himself further.

“That’s good to hear. Often when someone is in an abusive or traumatic situation the brain works to protect itself. It wasn’t safe for your mind to process past trauma while you were still in an unsafe environment. Now that you have found safety your mind is working to process everything it had shut away. Does that make sense?”

“I guess so. I just feel like I should be doing better, handling it better,” He said with a shrug. It was a common statement for Jennette to hear; patients thinking they should be ‘doing better’ when to most healers they were already doing great. She was impressed with the boy in front of her. He was showing signs of a growing dependence, but was able to answer questions himself and speak about his feeling. He didn’t like looking people in the eye, but had done so on multiple occasions. In all, she could see where his past abuse had mentally scarred him, but he had a strength and independence that had not been taken away, something that often happened.

“I understand, and you will talk more about that with your healer when you begin sessions, but I think you are handling things incredibly well and are very strong, and I think your father agrees with me.” Severus nodded in agreement and pressed a kiss to Harry’s forehead. Jennette couldn’t help raising an eyebrow at the stoic man, to which he rolled his eyes and circled his hand, encouraging her to proceed.

******************************

“Have you ever consider attempting or taken actions to end your own life?” She watched carefully as she asked this question, knowing that most patients lied when answering or at minimum tried to downplay their depression.

“I don’t want to die, I don’t want to leave everything that I just found.” He said, curling further into his father.

“I understand Harry, it seems like you and Severus have already created an incredibly close bond, but have you felt suicidal in the past?”

Harry’s hands began to shake a little and a small tear ran down his cheek. “I don’t think I wanted to kill myself, but I sometimes just wanted things to stop… I used to wish that I had died with mama and papa.”

She thought of how different the Wizarding World would be if the small boy in front of her had perished with his parents, life as they knew it would be over. She then realized how cruel it was to think of this from that perspective. In a sick way, Harry’s loss and grief had been taken from him by the Wizarding population, because no one could say ‘I wish it hadn’t happened.’ They may wish he wasn’t alone or that Lily and James were alive, but in the end, Harry had defeated You-Know-Who and saved them, and no one would want to change that.

“Thank you for telling me that Harry, it was very brave of you. Remember, no one in this room will ever betray your confidence, and all we want is to help you. I promise the next few questions are going to be a lot easier.”

******************************

Jennette looked down at her sheet, once again cursing the way St. Mungo’s sets up their intake interview. _Why the hell should I ask about his relationship status after digging into his anxiety and suicidal ideations? Idiots!_

“Are you currently in a romantic relationship?” she wanted to laugh at the blush that colored the boy's cheeks but refrained. He shook his head no and she continued.

“And what is your sexuality?”

Harry’s eyes went wide and he looked at his father, his cheeks now bright red. This did not make too much sense as it seemed the two were quite close. Was he gay and had not told his father yet? He was raised by muggles so maybe he had heard some of their ridiculous homophobic notions?

“I’m not… I haven’t…”

“I am not asking if you are active Harry, I am asking which gender you are attracted to? Are you attracted to girls, or boys, or both, or neither?” she decided to spell out the most basic of the options, not wanting to overwhelm the boy. Where ever he had grown up, it seemed they had not talked to him about relationships or sexuality. It was a serious issue, but a part of Jennette would love to watch how Severus would handle the situation, thinking it would be a bit funny.

“What do you mean, boys? I’m a boy. I’m not allowed to like boys. If I like boys then I’m a freak and a poofter, right?” he asked this all in a matter of fact tone.

Severus held his hand up to Jennette to stop her from speaking, something she would usually not allow. But, just this once she would, because as a father, Severus should be the one to dispel these falsehoods.

“Harry, none of that is true. In the muggle world, some people believe that homosexuals, or people who are attracted to people of their own gender, are less than or wrong. It is not true. You are free to like and someday fall in love with whomever you wish. Your Aunt and Uncle lied to you about a lot of things, and this is just another one.”

Harry nodded and looked back at Jennette. “Am I allowed to say that I don’t know?” he asked.

“Yes, Harry. That is a perfectly acceptable answer to any question, as long as it is the honest answer.”

They continued their interview, the rest of the questions dealing with his schooling, past medical history, and his thoughts on his strengths and weaknesses (which were disproportionate, six strengths and fifteen weaknesses.)

When she went to leave, Severus walked her to the floo and Harry retreated into his bedroom. She turned to look at Severus and answered the question that lingered behind his eyes.

“You are doing a great job, Severus, you really are. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. I promise you it will happen and he will still love you when they do.”

With that, she stepped into the fireplace and was whisked away, the last thing she saw was a smile on Severus Snape’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry is asked if he ever considered taking his life, he responds saying he did not want to die, he just wanted peace. He says he sometimes wished he died with his parents.


	37. My Friend the Ferret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for being understanding about my situation yesterday! We got power back late last night, thank the lord!!!!!

After meeting with the mind healer, all Harry wanted was to see his new friends, to feel normal. However, he hadn’t seen any of the girls since the party after the tournament, and everyone in the boys' dorm had seen his panic attack. He was anxious to see if they would treat him differently and if they had been talking about him behind his back. Draco said they wouldn’t, he promised that no one had said anything about his nightmare, but Harry still had trouble believing that.

Harry laid down on his new couch… his… it seemed so strange that something so soft and cozy belonged to him. He leaned back into the cushions and took in his room as he had been doing all weekend. It was perfect, he never would have known what to do with the space, having never had a place of his own before, but Draco had taken charge and somehow was able to give him the perfect place to call his own.

He knew that seeing a mind healer was necessary; it was plainly obvious that he was not okay, but he had hated that session. It wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be, but it still sucked. He hadn’t wanted to answer that woman’s questions, but he had done it anyway because he knew it would make his father proud. He could not yet see that he should be doing this for himself, as his father had reminded him, but maybe that would come later.

“Harry, Draco was wondering if you wanted to go outside with the rest of your class? It seems like it is one of the last nice days we are going to get.” His father said, his voice muffled as it came through the door.

Harry looked out his enchanted window, staring at the sun-lite quidditch pitch. A large piece of him wished to crawl back into bed and hide, cocooning himself tightly in the thick blankets, hiding from the world. But he missed his friends, he missed Blaise.

Blaise, the boy had been in the back of his mind for the past hour or two, ever since Jennette asked about who he liked. Could he like boys? He hadn’t thought about that before, which only made him think he was even more of a freak. What teenager doesn’t think about dating or kissing or anything like that?

But he couldn’t help but think about how nice it was holding Blaise’s hand, how he felt warm and safe when he got to hug the taller boy and rest his head against Blaise’s chest. Then he thought of the night he had fallen asleep in his arms. He hadn’t thought it was anything romantic at the time, the thought of romance had never crossed his mind, but did Blaise think it was?

That idea both frightened and thrilled him, though at this time he had no desire for kisses or more, he loved being held, and hoped that the sweet-smelling boy would want to hold him close again. _Only freaks want to be with other boys, freaky little homo._

He pushed that voice away, remembering that Severus told him he wasn’t a freak, and Severus wouldn’t lie to him.

“I’ll be out in a second, Dad!” he replied. He wanted to see everyone, and maybe being around Blaise would help him figure things out.

Harry quickly pulled on his trainers and a jacket and left his room to grab his school bag. Knowing Draco and Theo, there would likely be a good amount of studying and homework to work on, and Harry knew he could use the extra help. Having a dragon haunting the back of his thoughts had not helped his grades.

Harry hugged his dad goodbye and, after promising to come back to him if he wasn’t feeling good, made his way out to the grounds with Draco.

He may not have been as observant as the other Slytherin’s, but Harry could hear the screws turning in Draco’s mind as they walked side by side. Every few steps Draco would turn to look at Harry, open his mouth, and then once again close it and look forward. Each time Draco repeated the action, Harry worried more and more about what he could want to ask.

“Spit it out Draco.” He had finally had enough of waiting, and he had become comfortable enough with Draco over the past month to call him out on the annoying behavior.

“Did you forgive Weasley?” he asked, shocking Harry. Of all the things he had expected to hear, this was low on the list. It hurt Harry to see the sadness in Draco’s eyes as he asked this.

“I haven’t spoken to anyone but you and dad since the task, why?” Harry had hoped at some point he could mend his friendship with Ron, but hearing Draco ask this out of the blue sent Harry into high alert.

“He has been telling people that you can’t stand the ‘slimy snakes’ and that he is your best friend and he helped you with the dragon. We never believed him, but he has mostly been saying this to any girl that will listen, it’s a bit pathetic.” Draco sneered the last statement, but then turned to Harry and genuinely smiled at him.

He felt dumb, he should have been ready for Ron to do something like this, but he had a tendency to overlook people's faults. Ron had a temper and prejudice against Slytherin’s that had no bounds. He had hoped any hatred or slurs would be directed at him and that his new friends would be spared, but he should have known better.

“Snakes aren’t slimy… his insult makes no sense.” He said with a shrug. “Come on, I wanna see everyone.” Harry picked up the pace and was happy to hear Draco following after him. He would talk to Ron later, maybe if Ron really wanted to be his friend again he could fix things, but he liked his new friends and would not be losing them just to get Ron back. If Ron couldn’t accept that he was friends with his fellow Slytherin’s then he would tell him that they couldn’t be friends. The thought hurt, but he couldn’t turn his back on the people who had accepted him so fully.

Stepping outside, Harry took in a deep breath and sighed. He loved the fall; the colors of the trees always enchanted him. He loved the way the crisp breeze would blow a rainbow of leaves around your feet. This had been his oasis when he spent fall with the Dursley’s. He would often spend most afternoons or evenings outside raking leaves throughout the fall. Unlike when he did yard work in the summer, and he would often faint from over-heating, or in the winter when he would shovel snow until his hands would chap and bleed, in the fall he was comfortable outside.

The duo made their way through the courtyard until they join the group of Slytherins, all seated on blankets under a big oak tree. Instinctively, Harry’s eyes immediately sought out Blaise, who was reclined against one side of the tree reading his charms textbook. Blaise looked up at Harry over the top of his book and scooched to the side before patting the portion of blanket to his right. As Harry moved to take the seat beside his close friend he felt a hand on his shoulder turning him around.

“Harry, come over and play exploding snaps with me and Seamus, we haven’t been playing long so you can join in,” Ron said with a smile on his face, pointing across the courtyard to the bench where Seamus was sitting. For a moment, Harry was filled with happiness, thinking maybe he could have a friendship with Ron once more. But then he watched Ron look over Harry’s head to the Slytherins under the tree. The fun-loving smile on Ron’s face turned sour, cruelty, and hatred stained his once care-free blue eyes. At that moment, Harry thought he looked like Dudley when he was ‘Harry Hunting,’ excited to cause someone pain and unafraid of consequences.

Before Harry could respond, Ron had grabbed him by the arm and was pulling him away towards Seamus. Quickly, Harry pulled his arm from Ron’s grip and stepped back, moving closer to his friends, still seated beside the tree.

“Ron, I actually really wanna catch up on the homework I missed from last week. I also haven’t been in the common room all weekend so I want to hang out with some of my other friends. You and Seamus can join us?” He added hopefully, though he was quite sure Ron would say no.

“Harry, you don’t have to hang out with the snakes anymore. I know now that you didn’t put your name in the cup and I forgive you for overreacting and going to Snape, Mate. So don’t worry about having to be around those Slytherins. I can’t imagine you like being around them, their basically mini-death eaters.” Ron had said this loud enough for the other Slytherin’s to hear.

“They’re my friends, Ron and I like spending time with them. Also, I didn’t go to Snape, he found me and helped me because…” He trailed off, not wanting to confide in the boy he had once trusted. “Anyways, I’m Slytherin now too, so does that make me a mini- death eater?” He could feel himself getting angry as he continued speaking to Ron.

“You’re not a real Slytherin Harry, you were just forced to be in that house. I bet Snape tricked you into the adoption, you know he’s probably plotting something with You-Know-Who and will give you over the second he can I’m sure if you talked to Dumbledore he could put an end to it!” Ron sounded excited at the prospect and Harry felt his stomach drop. He hadn’t noticed when it happened, but his wand was in his hand and pointing directly at Ron.

“Don’t talk about my Dad like that!” he yelled, his hands visibly shaking. He could hear the members of his house standing and taking their place behind him, supporting and protecting him. “I am a real Slytherin and would not want to change houses even if I was given the choice! I also love being a ‘Snape’, he’s a great Dad and would never do anything to hurt me!”

“You call him dad? Really? Your real dad was killed by You-Know-Who, he died to save you and you’re calling that greasy git your dad?” Ron’s face had turned a bright-red, almost blending into his hairline. His screaming had attracted a large crowd, all watching as the two former friends fought! “You’re right, you are a real snake now! No Gryffindor would act like such a coward, they would see that they were surrounded by evil pricks and fight to leave. Don’t come crying to me when you realize they’re all death eaters, freak!”

Harry instinctively recoiled at the name, hurt that Ron would use it. He hadn’t told people much about his past, not until recently at least, but Ron knew that he was punished for ‘freakish behavior’ and yet, he used that against him. The same cruel smirk graced Ron’s face and his eyes shone gleefully, knowing the pain that word had inflicted. Ron turned and walked away, a joyful bounce in his step.

Harry felt, rather than saw, someone move to his side, and Ron walked away.

“How dare you say that to him,” the posh voice of Draco Malfoy reached his ears. Harry turned in time to see Draco pull his wand from his pocket and point it towards Ron. Before a spell could leave the boy’s mouth, another voice yelled over the group.

“Oh no you don’t, laddie!”

Harry spun around, frightened by the loud noise. Professor Moody was limping across the lawn, his wand grasped tightly in his hand pointed at a pure white ferret, which was shivering in the grass, in the exact place Draco had been standing a moment ago.

There was a terrified silence throughout the courtyard, no one but Moody was moving a muscle as he continued to limp towards the group of Slytherin’s. With a terrified squeak, the ferret ran, taking off towards the safety of the tree they had been sitting at before. Harry stood frozen, watching his friend run and hoping he could find a safe place to hide until help would arrive.

“I don’t think so!” roared Moody, pointing his wand at the ferret again — it flew ten feet into the air, fell smack to the floor, and then bounced upward once more. Harry moved forward, wanting to protect his friend, but he felt a hand grasp his own and pull him back.

“Interfering won’t help him, it will only make it worse,” Blaise whispered in his ear. “Deep breaths, he’ll be fine. Another teacher will come soon and everything will be fine.”

Harry tried to stay calm and still, but it hurt to watch this happen to someone he cared for. A crowd had formed around them, all watching and laughing as Moody terrorized Draco, making a show of causing the boy pain. In front of the crowd was Ron, laughing and smiling as if Christmas had come early.

“I don’t like people who attack when their opponent’s back is turned,” growled Moody, speaking each word at the ferret bounced higher, squealing in pain. “Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do… but what else could we expect from a Malfoy.”

The ferret flew through the air, its legs and tail flailing helplessly. Harry could hear squeals of pain each time the ferret hit the ground, it was likely Draco would be deeply bruised and possibly have broken bones. He felt this was all his fault. Draco had pulled out his wand to defend Harry, to stand up to Ron for insulting him, and now he was being humiliated and harmed.

“Never — do — that — again —" said Moody, speaking each word as the ferret hit the grass and bounced upward again.

“Professor Moody!” said a shocked voice.

Professor McGonagall was coming through the doors, out into the courtyard, a book nestled under her arm. Harry could feel a bit of tension leave his body, he knew this would end quickly now. McGonagall would never stand for this sort of behavior, yes she was strict, but never cruel and she would see this ‘punishment’ as unjust.

“Hello, Professor McGonagall,” said Moody calmly, bouncing the ferret still higher.

“What — what are you doing?” asked the Professor, her eyes following the bouncing ferret’s progress through the air.

“Teaching.”

“Teach — Moody, is that a student?” shrieked Professor McGonagall, her book falling to the ground.

“Technically it’s a ferret,” Moody replied gleefully, sending the ferret higher into the air.

“No!” cried Professor McGonagall, pulling out her wand; a moment later, with a loud snapping noise, Draco Malfoy reappeared, lying in a heap on the ground. He was curling into himself, wincing in pain.

The group of Slytherins ran to Draco’s side, leaving McGonagall to deal with Moody. Harry was the first to reach his friend but did not know what he could do to help, so he just crouched down close to Draco, hoping he would forgive him.

“We never use transfiguration as a punishment, surely Dumbledore told you that,” the stern woman said. Harry turned around to see the witch training her wand in Moody’s face.

“He may have mentioned it,” Moody replied looking slightly cowed by the elderly witch.

“Well, you would do well to remember! Away, all of you!” she said harshly, dismissing the crowd or students who had been watching. She then turned to the group of Slytherins and bent down to be level with Draco.

“Mr. Malfoy are you able to stand and make your way to the hospital wing or would you like me to levitate you?” McGonagall asked kindly, though Harry was sure she knew the answer. People were always against being levitated through the halls when they needed to see Madam Pomfrey, it was embarrassing. Most students would rather suffer the pain of walking on broken bones.

As expected, Draco shook his head and moved to his feet, grimacing in pain the whole time. Harry moved closer to him and offered himself as a crutch. He was glad that Draco accepted his help as the silver-haired boy threw his arm around Harry’s shoulder, hoping it meant he could be forgiven.

McGonagall watched as more of the Slytherin’s moved to help Draco; Pansy grabbed his school bag, Blaise moved to walk in front of him, and Crabbe and Goyle moved to his back and his side, protecting him from all sides. Harry watched as McGonagall’s face took on a sad yet fond expression as if she was proud of their movements but sad they were necessary. She then pulled out her wand and conjured her Patronus.

It should have been no surprise to Harry that McGonagall’s Patronus was herself, or more specifically her Animagus form. A silver light in the form of a tabby cat with square markings around its eyes, the same shape as the Professor’s glasses, appeared before them.

“Severus, please come to the hospital wing. One of your snakes has been injured.” She spoke clearly to the Patronus and then allowed it to disappear into mist.

Together the group of Slytherins and McGonagall made their way to the hospital wing. Harry could hear McGonagall the whole time, speaking under her breath about incompetent, cruel Defense Against the Dark Arts Professors.


	38. Interruptions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SoooOOOoooo, JK Rowling is really fucking up her rep, isn't she.
> 
> In all seriousness, I wanted to take a second to say how much I love this community. It is inclusive, loving, and open to all. The comments being made against Tran people are disgusting, and if there is anyone reading this who is feeling upset or attacked over her comments, I am so sorry that the safe space the HP community has created has been tarnished by JK.
> 
> You are loved, you are heard, you are welcome! 
> 
> If anyone needs someone to talk to, feel free to reach out on Tumblr or in the comments <3

It had been far too long since Severus had been granted the time to brew for pleasure, to experiment and lose himself temporarily in the subtle simmering of ingredients. Few had this drive within them, the need to combine every aspect of magical life into something extraordinary; whether it be for the good of others or for their detriment the outcome was always breathtaking in Severus' eyes.

He knew there were so many other things he still needed to do; continue reading about Harry’s PTSD, deal with Moody’s discrimination against his house, speak to Dumbledore about protecting the Malfoy’s, and figuring out if he was going to have to give Harry ‘the talk’, were all on the top of his to-do list. However, he knew he could not get those things done without a moment for himself, self-care. It was all in the name of setting an example for Harry, he would tell himself instead of berating himself for procrastinating.

Brewing allowed his mind to drift, he could focus solely on the ingredients in front of him and lose himself in their properties.

He thought to himself about how he could share this with Harry one day, maybe spark a greater appreciation for brewing in the boy. Since he had gotten new glasses and began the Slytherin study sessions his grades in all classes had improved, but the most drastic improvement came in potions.

Severus was not allowed to give Harry his final grades, as it could be seen as nepotism, however, he did do his markings. For each test or brew the boy did, Severus would mark a score and send it to either Minerva or Albus for approval. The first time he had given Harry an ‘O’ he had wanted to throw a party. Minerva and Albus had both been astonished as well, but no one was more surprised than Harry.

Severus stirred the modified Wolfsbane he had been working on, closing his eyes he stirred clockwise until he no longer felt any resistance from the liquid, then he moved counterclockwise.

“Severus, please come to the hospital wing. One of your snakes has been injured.”

Severus opened his eyes in time to watch the silver tabby evaporate into the air. Shaking his head in exasperation, Severus cast a quick stasis charm over his potion and made his way to the floo.

He shouldn’t have been surprised to find his fourth-years, who were all crowding one bed in the corner of the hospital wing. Severus didn’t see Harry at first, but he noticed the bed on the opposite corner, the bed that was apparently ‘his hospital bed’, was empty, so he did not believe his son was the injured party.

Making his way closer to the crowd, Severus could finally see the shocking silver hair of the boy on the bed. Harry sat on the side of the bed holding Draco’s hand while Blaise stood over behind his son, his hand resting on his shoulder. Draco was grimacing slightly in pain but seemed to be reassuring Harry that he was fine.

“Draco, what happened?” Severus asked, bringing his presence to everyone’s attention. The group all turned to face their professor, then those in between him and Draco, namely Crabbe and Goyle, moved to the side so Severus could approach his Godson.

“Moody attacked me. Weasel was being rude to Harry and I raised my wand to hex him for being a prat and Moody came around the corner and…” Draco trailed off, looking down at his hands.

“He transfigured Mr. Malfoy into a ferret and proceeded to spell him up and down, bouncing him off the ground until I came and stopped him. I am currently writing a full report for Albus and am sending it to the board as well.” Severus turned around and saw Poppy and Minerva coming out of the matron's office, irritated expressions on both women’s faces.

Poppy moved to Draco’s bed and handed him two potions, a pain potion, and a bone healing potion Severus noticed.

“Moody broke his bones?” Severus could feel his blood boiling. After the incident with the fourth-years in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Severus had spoken to his prefects, instructing them to keep an eye out for the younger years, more so than usual, and to report if there were more classes like the one his son had experienced. There had been, and it had now become common that the younger years would need to come to either Severus or his older students to cry because of something Moody had said or done.

“Fractured tail-bone, a broken wrist, and a few contusions. He also had a mild concussion but that has already been handled, though I would like him to stay overnight to be sure.” Poppy continued prodding Draco with her wand while she was talking. Severus took a moment to look at his son, as she was standing beside him, and noticed the tightness in his jaw and shoulders.

“What did Mr. Weasley say to provoke you, Draco?” Severus asked calmly, though he found it hard to focus on his injured Godson when his child looked so upset. He would need all the information to bring to Dumbledore, once he was fully briefed on the incident he could focus more fully on Harry.

He watched Draco and Harry exchange a look; Draco looking expectantly at Harry and Harry looking back with pleading eyes and shaking his head.

“Hey, why don’t you lot go back to the common room, alright?” Blaise said, his hand still resting on Harry’s shoulder protectively. Severus was once again reminded that that was something he would need to deal with at some point, but not at the moment.

He waited until the last Slytherin left the hospital wing, leaving the three adults alone with Harry, Blaise, and Draco, though Minerva and Poppy had moved to the side to allow the Slytherins some space.

“Now, which one of you will tell me exactly what happened?” he asked, looking at all the boys. Draco and Blaise both looked at Harry, who had his head hung low, before exchanging a look. Blaise began speaking, not moving from his place behind Harry.

“Weasley had been spreading a rumor that Harry hated being your son and wanted to leave Slytherin. When he saw Harry in the courtyard he continued insulting our house; saying that we were all death-eaters. Then he said you were going to hand him over to the Dark Lord the second you had a chance. When Harry told him to not speak about his Dad like that, Weasley started yelling about how his ‘real’ dad would be ashamed of him.” At this point, Blaise moved his hand from Harry’s shoulder and wrapped both his arms around Harry’s waist. “Which we know is not true at all.”

Harry leaned into Blaise and nodded his head, though the sad expression on his face did not go away. Severus felt the urge to yell at the boy to stop pawing at his son, but he knew that could be detrimental. If Harry did have feelings for Blaise, or any boys, he would likely take the reprimand as something worse, only leading to a more stunted view of his sexuality. Severus knew he would need to find a book on how to have this awkward conversation with Harry so he did not mess it up. Until then, he would grit his teeth so he didn’t punch the kid groping at his son.

“Then he started insulting Harry. He called him a freak,” Draco said. “That’s why I was going to hex him, he can’t call Harry that! He was friends with him for years, there is no way he doesn’t know the way that word hurts Harry.” Draco looked angry, and though Severus could not condone hexing another student, he was glad that people had grown so defensive of his son.

“It’s my fault.” Harry’s voice was so soft for a moment Severus thought he had heard wrong. “I should have just walked away from Ron, but I thought maybe we could be friends again. I knew he wouldn’t like my new friends but he wouldn’t have to, we could hang out on our own, like I do with Neville and Hermione.” He looked up at Severus his eyes still sad. “But if he can’t accept my new family then we can’t be friends, can we?”

Severus felt his heart break a little. If he was honest, it was moments like this that made him wonder why Harry wasn’t a Hufflepuff. He had all the makings of a Badger; he tried to always find the best in people, he loved hugs, was overly trusting, was quickly adored by any Slytherin who met him, and he could bake. But, then he remembers the parts of him that fit his old house and his new; his ability to act through his fears like a lion, his slowly building self-preservation like a snake, and it once again mades sense why the Hat placed him where it did.

“No, I’m sorry Harry but someone who truly cares about you will not abandon you because of your family. There are so many who have accepted the changes in your life — Ms. Granger, Mr. Longbottom, and the Weasley Twins have all made their feelings known, as well as Professor McGonagall and your Godfathers.”

Severus wished he could fix this, but it was not Harry’s fault nor was it his own, the fault lay with the red-haired cretant who hurt his son and a maimed old man who got off on hurting children.

“What happened today is not your fault, and though I do not condone dueling in common areas, it is not your fault either, Draco. I will be speaking with the Headmaster again about Moody, Draco I suggest writing to your father and giving him the full story, he will need to bring this before the Board of Governors.” Severus ignored Draco’s groan of embarrassment and turned to Poppy and Minerva, who seemed to be having their own whispered conversation.

“Would you ladies care to accompany me to the Headmaster’s office? I think it would be best to have you at my side Minerva, and Poppy you would be of great help as well.” Of course, he knew neither woman would accept being left out of this meeting, both looking furious at the way a professor had treated their students.

Severus turned back to the group and spoke to his son. “Harry, you may stay with Draco until dinner, you have a choice between going to the Great Hall or back to our rooms for supper. Either way, Blaise I would like you in the Great Hall for supper. I will see you tonight”

Severus turned to leave the hospital wing, feeling the presents of the two elderly women behind him. He imagined the three made a rather frightful sight, and with that thought, Severus smirked, hoping Moody had the good sense to fear the three most terrifying people at Hogwarts.


	39. Manipulation

“This has gotten out of hand, Albus! I have children, eleven-year-old kids, coming to my office crying once a week because that man has reduced them to tears. Now one of my snakes, the son of a Board member has been transfigured and assaulted by a Professor, something needs to be done!”

Albus looked as though he was about to interrupt, but Severus would not allow for that and continued speaking, his voice no louder than usual just harder, as though each word was coated in steel.

“Whether or not you choose to acknowledge it as such, Moody broke, bruised, and fractured bones on a fourteen-year-old because he was going to hex someone, likely a minor, fourth-year hex, for insinuating that they were in league with the Dark Lord, that is assault, Albus!”

Severus wanted to scream but knew it would get him nowhere. His Godson had been hurt by an adult and for some reason, it seemed like Albus was fine with it, like he thought it was handled just because Draco had been healed.

They had been going around in circles about this for over an hour, both Poppy and Minerva had screamed themselves horse in defense of Draco, but Albus just sat there, cool as a cucumber, acting as though it did not matter.

“I am sure Alastor meant no harm,” Albus said calmly. The kind grandfatherly air that he exuded sicken Severus as he defended the old man. “I agree that his method was uncalled for and not a suitable form of punishment, but I believe he was only meaning to defend Mr. Weasley, as an Auror he has some things to work past and obviously seeing Mr. Malfoy raise his wand behind Mr. Weasley’s back triggered him.”

Before Severus could lose the last bit of patience he possessed, he was cut off by Minerva. She stood at Severus' side and later Severus would swear he could feel the heat radiating off her skin, as though she was about to burst into flames.

“Well, then he should not be teaching if he cannot put his work in the field behind him. Almost all of the professors in this castle took part in the last war, Albus! That cannot be used as an excuse for Moody going off and verbally attacking students from a particular house. This has gone on for too long without action, and now he had physically attacked a child!”

Severus could not be more grateful for the support of the two women at his side. He had been complaining about prejudice against Slytherin for years, and each complaint was met with deaf ears. Albus seemed to not care, as long as his precious Gryffindors were fine. His blatant disregard for the House of Snake was known by all, and surprisingly the second loudest voice in their defense was always Minerva.

Albus remained seated behind his desk, still calmly listening to the three professors. Severus could almost hear the cogs of his mind spinning, trying to think of a way to come to a solution that would put him in a good light while also continuing to get what he wanted.

Severus had no great disdain for the headmaster, on the contrary, he felt the two were quite close. However, there were glaring moments, like the one he was currently in, that reminded him of the Headmaster’s major faults; his hubris, his disregard for others in pursuit of the ‘Greater Good’, and his hidden agendas.

That was likely why Moody was here, some secret plan that Severus would learn of at the last minute, something that is likely important but will not be explained or shared until it has ruined lives, likely the lives of his snakes and more specifically his son.

“I will speak to Alastor about his behavior. You are all right, he cannot allow his past experiences to cloud his judgment when it comes to students.” Albus looked at Severus when he said this, smirking and raising his eyebrow. Of course, the man would try to use his past treatment of his son against him, however, it wouldn’t work.

“I see right through that statement, Albus. I may have been an arse, but I have never raised a hand or wand to a student nor have I reduced an entire class to tears!” Severus could feel the hold on his temper slipping. How dare he compare the two Professors; he had never been this cruel… had he?

“No, of course not Severus. I know you are a wonderful teacher. However, I do wonder—” Albus trailed off at the end of his sentence, looking at Severus with a mischievous glee that could only mean trouble.

“What, Albus?”

“I wonder if he has frightened any of your students enough to manifest as their boggart. A professor being the one thing a student feared the most would be a terrible thing, wouldn’t you think?”

Longbottom, of course, Albus would use the boy against him. When he had heard last year that the boy had seen him as his boggart it had wounded Severus, but he knew he deserved it. At first, he had thought of going easier on the child, but then he had heard of the outcome of the class, him being laughed at in women's clothing. He was a proud man, it was one of his many faults, and he could not allow that ridicule to stand, especially knowing the outcome had been at the suggestion of one of his childhood bullies. He had spent too much of his life being laughed at, he would not allow children to continue that, how foolish of him to care about something so small.

“That would be nothing new, Albus” Minerva chimed in, saving Severus from needing to respond. “I happen to be the manifestation of Hermione Granger’s boggart after all. Albus, you are being childish, and I cannot stand it any longer today, we will be leaving you now so you may deal with Professor Moody.” With that Minerva turned to leave, giving Severus and Poppy no choice but to follow.

He couldn’t hear the exact words she said, but as the trio moved back to the hospital wing Severus could hear Minerva mumbling under her breath. On occasion, he would pick up a word, ‘manipulative’, ‘bumbling’, and ‘lemon drops’ crossed his ears, and though he could make assumptions as to what she was saying, he would have preferred to hear the Scottish woman’s rant.

Walking to Poppy’s office the three stopped to check on Draco and Harry, who were both seated on Draco’s bed, facing each other with their legs crossed, studying, and working on homework. Both looked up to smile and wave at the adults passing by before returning to their books.

It was nice to see a mundane, normal, unemotional moment for his son. This whole weekend had been far too much for him and it felt good to see him settling down a bit.

As Severus entered Poppy’s office, he saw that the two women had already made themselves quite comfortable, as Minera was pouring tea and Poppy had a plate of biscuits in her hand.

“That man will be the death of me! I swear half the time I believe he is the most genius person alive and the other half I wonder if he has truly lost his mind!” Minerva said this, taking a fortifying sip of her tea and leaning back into her chair.

“I have already sent the medical file for Mr. Malfoy as well as your written account to the Board of Governors, if Albus doesn’t take steps to rectify this I am sure Lucius Malfoy will,” Poppy said.

It was true, Lucius could not stand the thought of his son being harm, usually to the point of overreacting. Draco usually added into this, being a bit of a drama-queen himself, like last year with the Hippogriff. Neither Malfoy would see reason, Severus had tried to explain that it was not the fault of the beast, the boy had provoked an extraordinarily proud magical creature and the animal acted on instinct, but all Lucius saw was an injured son and an animal who had caused the injury.

Severus zoned out as the two women continued to speak, thinking instead of what Albus had said. Had he truly hurt Longbottom as badly had Moody had been terrorizing his snakes? He tried to convince himself he had never been that bad, but he couldn’t. Only recently he had threatened to poison the boy's toad if he prepared a potion incorrectly, the only reason the pet was alive, in Neville's mind, was because Miss Granger had been helping him. Severus knew he wouldn’t have actually killed the toad, he had the antidote in his pocket the whole class, but it still could have been traumatizing.

“I’m just as bad as Moody, Albus is right.” He said this softly, knowing that it was safe for him to be this vulnerable. These women, who were almost like mothers to him, would help him do better as they always had.

“No dear, you are not.” Minerva placed her teacup on the desk and grasped Severus' hand, forcing him to focus fully on the fierce woman instead of wallowing in self-pity.

“You have always been strict and sometimes you are a bit of a git to your students, I will never deny that as I have told you these things on several occasions. But you have always put the safety of the students above anything else. You have never allowed a student to be severely injured in your class, a first for potions professors at Hogwarts. You are meticulous about stocking potions for their health and wellbeing. Most importantly, you notice each student in need when none of the other teacher's notice, look no further than your son.”

Severus absorbed her words, and though many of them he knew were true he still felt like a monster. “I only noticed Harry when he was at his lowest, I should have seen sooner. As for the others, Longbottom should not be forced to participate in a class with the thing he fears most in the world.”

He had looked down once more and was shocked when he felt Minerva’s hand under his chin, sharply lifting his gaze.

“You don’t like how Neville sees you? Change it.”


	40. The Malfoy Legacy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, fun story. This chapter was written in less than 24 hours because I kept reading the chapter I had written and thinking 'you need to add something before this!'
> 
> After reading last week's comments I realized we could wait any longer for a bit of Lucius, we needed him now, so I busted out with chapter for Y'all!
> 
> Hope you like it!

Lucius ran down the halls of Hogwarts making his way towards the Hospital wing, completely ignoring the calls of his wife, asking him to slow down. Lucius had never been mistaken for a patient man, nor had he ever aspired to have that particular virtue. He was looked at as a man with so few virtues, what was one less on the already minuscule list.

His most redeeming quality was his love for his family. Narcissa and Draco meant everything to him. Power and money could be gone, the world could be burnt to ashes, but as long as the people, he thought of as ‘his’ were safe, he could find a will and a way to survive.

When an owl for the Hogwarts Matron had come to him in his study, his heart had almost stopped. Each time something new happened; a quidditch injury, the damn hippogriff, a jinx gone wrong, Lucius felt paralyzed.

He had never expected to be this kind of parent. He had feared he would end up like his father—cold, emotionless, and callused. Abraxas had spent most of Lucius’ life hidden away in his study, making shady deals that always ended in destruction and an influx of gold into the Malfoy vaults.

When Draco had been born, after years of trying and failing to carry a child to term, all those fears went out the door. Looking down at his son, so small and perfect, he knew that he could never be like his father. He would be there, at his son's side, with as much love and protection as he could give.

In a frenzied panic, he quickly read through the letter, absorbing only the finest amount of details. His son—hurt—Professor attacked his son—concussion.

To say he had seen red would be an understatement. The world looked as though it were blazing as he made his way to the floo, yelling through the house like a Neanderthal for his wife to join him on his trip to Hogwarts.

Many had accused him of being dramatic, including his wife, but in moments like this, he didn’t care if he caused a scene. With a dismissive flick of his wrist, the double doors of the infirmary flew open with a loud thud, revealing him to the people inside.

“Where is my son?”

The question was asked to no one in particular, it was more a statement to any that heard, saying ‘if you get in between me and my son, I will destroy you’

“Dad?”

Far in the back corner was his son, sitting on the small infirmary cot with Pot—Harry. Lucius let out a sigh of relief now that he saw his boy, then the anger came back when his eyes landed on the bandages around his wrist and the red rims of his child's eyes.

He had not noticed when he moved to sit beside Draco, but one moment he was bursting through the doors, and the next he was taking a chair beside Draco’s bed and pulling it closer until he could grasp his son’s hands, taking great care to be gentle with his wrapped wrist.

“What happened? Tell me everything and I will take care of it.”

Draco looked down at his lap and took a few deep breaths before launching into the story. Lucius listened attentively, absorbing every detail, and never taking his eyes off his son. He was livid, unadulterated hatred burned inside him as he listened to the attack on his son.

However, as the tale continued Lucius couldn’t help but being proud of his boy. Draco had confided in him during the first task, informing both his parents that he thought of Harry like a brother. Knowing his son would stand up for someone he considers family made his heart fill with pride because he knew it was a trait Draco had learned from him.

“Minerva, Poppy, and I have just returned from the Headmasters office. If you and Narcissa would join us in her office, we can continue to discuss this matter, Lucius”

Lucius turned around, finally taking notice of the people who had joined him around Draco’s bed. The three professors stood just outside the Matrons office, giving the family space. Narcissa was standing behind him, having at some point caught up to him after his frantic sprint to get to Draco. His wife looked as pristine as ever to the unknowing eye, but Lucius could see the sadness and anger behind her carefully constructed mask.

He leaned forward over the hospital bed and held his son tightly in his arms. “I will be back soon, dragon. I promise, I will never let something like this happen again.” After pressing a quick kiss to his son’s temple, he followed Severus into Madame Pomfrey’s office, just barely holding onto his rage.

Lucius sat down in one of the many vacant chairs and stared at his friend, knowing he was just as disturbed by the actions of a fellow professor, but, much like Narcissa, was keeping his anger behind a mask.

Narcissa came and sat beside her husband, moving unconsciously to grasp his hand. The two spoke in their own special language; small touches, a raised eyebrow, or a subtle smirk would mean nothing to a casual bystander, but they always knew what the other was thinking. The tight grasp of his hand meant more than just a show of solidarity, it was a reminder to keep his cool, to show strength and restraint as they walked into battle. They held themselves stiffly on the outside, like soldiers, because both of them were raised to view life as a war.

“He will be fired, Mr. Malfoy, you have my word on that,” Minerva said as she walked through the door. “I do not care what Albus says, I will stand beside you when he is brought before the Board of Governs.”

Poppy, who was following behind Minerva, nodded in agreement. “It may not be today or tomorrow, but we will do everything in our power to have him removed before the start of next term.”

“Do you truly think losing his job is enough? The man assaulted our child, I want him arrested.” Narcissa’s voice was cold and sharp as the deadliest blade.

“If you go before the Wizengamot I will gladly testify, but Lucius, he is considered a war hero. This would not be the first time he has attacked an innocent bystander. Adding in the fact that he attacked a Malfoy—” Severus allowed the end of his statement to hang in the air.

Lucius understood. His name, the Malfoy legacy, still held the stains from the last war. Though he had become respected, as well as feared, by many of his colleagues, most still believed he was dark, like his father, and would likely side with the decorated ex-Auror, even if his victim was a child.

“Regardless of the outcome, I will be contacting lawyers. We may not be able to get him thrown in Azkaban, but we can drag his name through the mud,” Lucius said in a haughty voice. Though, his voice always had that posh, haughty tone.

Lucius turned to his wife, searching her face for her approval. He felt certain he made the right choice when their eyes met and all he saw was a devilish gleam that could only mean trouble for Alastor Moody.

In his mind, Lucius began making list, thinking of all the people he needed to contact before he could proceed and get reveng—justice for his son. Then, quickly, an idea came to the front of his mind.

“Severus, I think we should try and push up that meeting with Albus. I am curious if he would be up to a little trade, information, among other things, in exchange for the discharging of a certain teacher. I am sure I can persuade him to see things my way.” Losing Moody should be a small price for Albus to pay in return for cutting the Dark Lord off from the Malfoy vaults and library. He wondered which the twisted dictator would miss more, probably the library. At the end of the last war, the Dark Lord had spent every waking moment in either the library or in his ‘throne room,’ which in actuality was a parlor with a large chair.

The monster had devoured as many books on Dark Arts has he could, but had made only the smallest dent in the extensive collection. Dumbledore might also be pleased to hear that every book the Dark Lord read had been cataloged, at the time it was because Abraxas had thought it was some honor, showing people the collection of his books that had been ‘grace by the Dark Lord himself.’ After the man died, the books were still kept separate, but it was because Lucius didn’t want his family to touch anything that megalomaniac had touched.

Across the room, Severus and Lucius eyed each other until Severus smirked back at him. The dark man had always loved to watch Lucius work, having once said it was terrifyingly lovely to see him manipulate a situation for the protection and betterment of his family.

Throughout Lucius’ childhood, his father had taught him many terrible lessons. Lessons on how to harm people physically, emotionally, socially, and financially. Since his father's death, Lucius had done everything in his power to distance himself from the man and forget every word of ‘wisdom’ Abraxas had shared with him. However, there is nothing Lucius wouldn’t do to someone who raised a hand or wand against a child, even if he had to use some of his father's manipulative tactics.


	41. Fish, Chips, and Letters

The day had been long, and it was not even suppertime. Lucius and Severus had spent an hour looking for Dumbledore, who had, conveniently, been called away on business right after Minerva, Poppy, and Severus had left his office.

Lucius had sworn he would be back soon, with lawyers if needed, to speak on behalf of his son, before leaving the grounds with his wife.

Severus was left to contemplate the new tasks added to his ever-expanding list. His Godson had been attacked today while defending his son, he would likely now need to talk his son down from his guilt and prepare for meetings with Board members.

That could all be dealt with, he would just need to show up and give statements on how Moody had treated his Slytherins. But, one new task for Severus continued to gnaw at the back of his mind.

_“Change it.”_

Those two words rang in his head like the constant ticking of a metronome. Did he have the ability to change the way the boy saw him? It shouldn’t be impossible, if Harry and he could change their relationship so drastically then he should be able to change how Longbottom saw him.

_“Change it.”_

Severus settled down into his favorite leather chair and thought of the boy; what could he do to appear less frightening to the child. _The first step would be simple, _he thought to himself, _just stop being a berk in class and help the damn boy so he doesn’t ruin every potion he brews._

He had always known in the back of his head that he was too hard on his students, but he had needed to be when he first began teaching, now it seemed like it had seeped into who he truly was.

Arriving at Hogwarts, twenty-one years old and recently acquitted of his crimes as a death eater, he knew he would be pushed, taunted, and taken advantage of. If the students were anything like they had been when he graduated, and he was certain they were, he would need to be strict, he couldn’t allow them to walk over him just because of his age and station.

He remembered the first few weeks, how he had been proven right. The fifth through seventh years had been at Hogwarts when he had graduated and seemed to think they could pull one over on him. He had quickly shown them how wrong they were.

Slughorn had been lax with all his students, and it had resulted in chaos. He had vowed when he took the job that he would not stand for such disrespect. Slughorn’s leniency had led to many dangerous classes, a vast amount of injuries, and on occasion, students being sent to St. Mungo’s in need of more specialized healing.

So, he had ruled his class as an authoritarian, he was cruel at times, and unmoving in his rules. Points were deducted without thought, detentions were tough and usually disgusting, as they involved cleaning cauldrons. He had planned to stay this way until he had gained respect and a healthy dose of fear.

It had worked to a degree; he was proud of the fact that no student of his had ever been sent to St. Mungo’s for intensive care. His potions lab was as safe as it could possibly be, which was still not very safe, and he had firm control of his students even if they hated him for the time being. For the first few years he thought he could be liked as well as respected, he just needed to be overly strict first. Unfortunately, there seemed to be no end in sight. He had adopted that personality and never let go.

Severus was startled from his musings when he felt a tingle of magic, indicating that his wards had been breached. Only a few moments later, Harry entered the living room and took his place on the couch by his father. Severus could see that he still had a worn, tired, sadness in his eyes, but he was also happy to see his son smiling up at him.

“Did you have fun with Draco?” Severus asked. He was so thankful the two boys had become so close. Looking back, it seemed foolish that he was so worried about Harry being in Slytherin, when now he had found such great friends and support from his classmates.

“Yeah, we mostly did homework but then Draco’s head started hurting a bit from the concussion and he started telling me a bunch of stories. Did he really turn all your robes bright purple when he was little?”

Harry said this with the biggest grin on his face and Severus couldn’t help the bark of laughter that escaped his lips. That memory had always been a favorite of his, and he loved hearing that Draco had shared it fondly with Harry.

“Yes, he did, not a color that suited me! He was about six years old and was very upset that I wore black every time I came to see him. The only time he had ever worn black had been his grandfather’s funeral. He told me in no uncertain terms that black clothes were not for playing because they meant you were sad. One moment I was standing in my teaching robes, the next I looked like Albus, the robes were the most violent shade of purple imaginable. We were never able to fix them or change them back, I believe Narcissa has packed them away as a commemoration of his early magic.”

Severus watched as Harry’s smile fell a little at the comment, though he still laughed at the idea of Severus in purple. He had worn the color before, he had just been sure to find the darkest purple possible, so dark everyone thought it was black.

A sad smile stayed on Harry’s lips as he looked around the room, his eyes slightly glazed as if he were worlds away. Severus didn’t know exactly where he had gone, but he sat silently, allowing Harry to explore whatever was on his mind.

He thought about how different they had both been treated when they experienced accidental magic. He knew his father had been livid when, at five, he had made all the vegetables in the house vanish. Severus had gone to bed that night hungry and with a sore bum. He knew Harry had lived through similar punishments for his magic, unlike how most wizarding children would have been praised for their talents.

It took a while for Harry to rejoin him in the present, but when he did he seemed lighter, happier, and younger than usual.

“So, what's for dinner?” he asked, bouncing up and down a little on the couch.

“Well, I don’t know. What would you like?” Severus wanted to laugh as Harry’s face contorted with extreme concentration as if this was the most important question he had ever been asked.

“Fish and chips with extra curry sauce?” he asked sweetly.

Severus nodded in agreement and called for Winnie, instructing her to order fish and chips, extra curry sauce, and a side of mushy peas from the local chippy near Spinners End, Jack’s. No matter how many years it had been since he lived in the miner's town, he still would only order the traditional English dish from Cokeworth.

He then retreated into the kitchen to pour Harry a glass of pumpkin juice and to grab a jug of water for them both. When he returned to the sitting room his nose was assaulted by the most intoxicating and artery-clogging smell.

Harry sat on the floor behind the table of food, practically vibrating with delight over the feast they were about to partake in. Severus knew deep in his heart that he needed to get Harry back to eating healthy, he had been over-indulgent this weekend, but the look on Harry’s face made up for the minor lack of judgment, he could always add more veggies to his plate tomorrow.

Taking his seat once more, Severus dished out the meal and the two ate in silence, occasionally, letting out a sigh of contentment as the flaky, crispy, salty deliciousness flooded their taste buds. With each bite, Severus was transported to a pleasant part of his childhood. When his mother would save up as much as she could and the two would walk to the Chippy together, splitting a plate while his father was passed out drunk or off with another woman.

Another thing he was happy to share with his son, a piece of his mother that could live on even though she wasn’t with him any longer.

A loud pop took Severus from his musings once more, and he turned to see Winnie standing beside Harry holding 4 pieces of paper.

“Little Master’s white bird has come with letters for him and Little Master’s friends has been writing him notes too,” Winnie said, placing the envelopes next to Harry’s plate before disapperating away.

Harry unfolded the scraps of paper and began reading, his face scrunched up at angry, then quickly changing when he laughed at something written on the paper. Each letter seemed to be short, as he read through them quite quickly.

“You can’t take away points if I tell you things, can you?”

Severus felt his eyebrow raise at the pointed question. Honestly, he could take points if he wanted to, but he was more concerned about Harry speaking openly to him, so he struck a deal that seemed fair.

“I could if I wanted to, but I will make you a promise. As long as no one is in danger, I will not deduct points from you or your friends. However, if I feel I need to step in and speak to someone about their behavior I will do so, does that sound fair.”

“Sounds fair. Neville punched Ron! I mean, Ron went after him first because Neville was defending me after Ron blow up outside. Apparently, Ron was trying to kick Neville out of the dorms like he did to me, and so Neville went into the common room and got Hermione! Then Ron was yelling at them, saying that they were ‘slimy snakes’, which is really stupid because snakes aren’t slimy, you know. So Nev got in his face and said that a true Gryffindor would be brave enough to stand by their friends, no matter what. So Ron pushed Neville and then Nev punched him! In the face!”

Harry had been talking so fast that he forgot to breathe, and by the end of his story, he was out of breath. Severus did not want to condone violence, but he was quite proud of the reserved Gryffindor.

“And you are okay with him hitting your former friend?” he asked, treading carefully so Harry did not get defensive.

“Well, yes and no. Neville doesn’t really stick up for himself, you’ve seen him in class. But, he did this time. He stood up to a bully and won. That’s awesome, right?”

With that logic from Harry, he felt better about the situation. He felt he had to be so sensitive to violence and anger when it came to his son. He had been surrounded by brutality in his childhood, he needed the opposite.

“Yes, I am glad Mr. Longbottom stood up for himself and that he cares so deeply about you. As a teacher and a parent, I will say I do not like that he reacted physically… but as a person who is also quite done with Mr. Weasley, I must agree, that is, as you say, awesome!”

Harry laughed a bit at Severus before picking up the envelope and reading through his other letter, laughing and smiling throughout most of the reading before looking up at Severus with questioning eyes.

“What are we doing for Christmas?”

“I usually spend the holidays with the Malfoy’s, they through a large Christmas Eve party, though that won’t be happening this year, as well as a New Year's Eve party, most of your friends will be there as well. Most years I stay there for Christmas day, why do you ask?”

“Siri and Remus were wondering.” Harry then handed the note over for Severus to read. Such a sweet showing of trust, something so un-Slytherin.

> _Hey Pup,_
> 
> _Congratulations on getting past the Horntail. Whoever put your name in the goblet shouldn’t be feeling too happy right now!_
> 
> ** _But don’t get complacent cub! You’ve only done one task; there are going to be plenty more opportunities if someone is trying to hurt you. Stay close to your friends and Severus, they will watch your back!_ **
> 
> _Yes, what Moony says is right! (but you should also celebrate a job well done! throw a party, do something crazy!)_
> 
> _ Speaking of the old man—_
> 
> ** _I am butting in once more to remind you and Sirius that Severus is three months younger, therefore if he is an old man, so are you, Sirius._ **
> 
> _Anyways, we want to see you over Christmas! I know something is going on at Hogwarts, so we can’t have Christmas Eve, but make sure that <strike>Sniv</strike> Snape leaves some time for you to see your favorite Godfather!_
> 
> ** _Well, you are his only Godfather, it isn’t much of a competition. Harry, we both love you so much and cannot wait to see you, soon hopefully!_ **
> 
> ** _ \- _ ** ** _Moony and Padfoot_ **

Severus almost wanted to laugh at the nonsensical writing, he could see on the page the moments each man had pushed their mate away or stolen the paper from under the other man's hand. He wouldn’t relish the time, but he would make sure the two men were part of Harry’s Christmas experience.

“What’s going on here on Christmas Eve?” Harry asked, collecting all his letter and stowing them away in his bag.

“Ah, yes I did need to speak with you about this.” Severus cleared his throat and pondered how to proceed. The Yule ball was going to be hell for most of the students at Hogwarts; Severus had already begun the _joyous_ task of brewing cleansing potions for the many students who would take untested beauty elixirs and end up with hives or some other malady.

For Harry, this would just be more public scrutiny. Unfortunately, after the intake interview, it was clear Harry was confused about his sexuality, and now he would be in a position where he needed a date to the ball.

“The Yule Ball is a time honor tradition, it is part of the tournament and takes place on Christmas Eve. As one of the champions, you will be tasked with opening the ball.”

Harry looked up at him, looking like a confused puppy.

“What does that mean? Like I have to greet people at the door or something?” Harry asked.

“No, you and the other champions will open the dance floor, which means you will have to bring a partner to dance with.”

Severus had the urge to laugh at his son, who looked equally as frightened as he had when he heard about the dragons. But he understood, dancing in front of a large group of people when you are only fourteen years old could sound like the end of the world.

“Harry, if you are nervous I can help. We can have Narcissa come and teach you how to waltz so you are prepared. We will order some nice dress robes so you look presentable. It will be a fine evening with only one small hurdle in the beginning. I am told after the floor is open you will be allowed to leave the dance floor for the rest of the evening, though I think after the first two dances they will have some horrid band you children like.”

Harry nodded, but still was lost in thought, staring at his plate of half-finished food. Severus left him to mull over this new information and returned to his dish and his earlier dilemma.

He thought of Neville some more, the cowardly lion. Much like the fairy tale, maybe Neville always had courage, he just needed someone to give him a reason to be brave.

Walking into potions each day was a tiny act of courage. Knowing that a man he feared above all else was waiting for him and still having the fortitude to enter the dungeons took strength.

Much like Harry, it seemed to Severus he had looked over this other Gryffindor boy and in doing so had hurt the child immensely. But now, looking at his son as he ate dinner, Severus was certain he had the ability to fix his mistakes.


	42. Brother-time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got to be honest. I am struggling a lot with writing! I haven't written in about two weeks. I have my story fully mapped out, but the words aren't coming. I have been dealing with a bit of a depression spiral, nothing dangerous, but feeling kinda numb.
> 
> I am letting you know this because I MIGHT need to change to updating every other week. I am hoping the muse will strike soon, but if not I would rather give myself a week cushion in between upload instead of posting everything and then needing to take a hiatus.
> 
> Again, this is only a possibility, no decision has been made.

After passing the first task, Harry’s fears about the Tournament had been lessened slightly, but now there was a new task, a task he was not ready for.

On the first day of the month, Dumbledore had made the announcement about the ball, explaining that all students, fourth-year and up, were invited to the ball. Younger students could come if they were the date of an older student.

Each day, Harry noticed as more and more people were asked to the ball, some students were going out of their way to ask their dates out, making spectacles of themselves and asking in dramatic ways.

Andrew Kirk, a sixth-year Gryffindor, asked Katie Bell by enchanting flowers to spell out “Will you go to the ball with me,” the display was framed by fireworks and was quite loud. He had asked in the Great Hall while everyone was having breakfast. Harry learned later from the Weasley twins that Katie had loved it, but Harry couldn’t think of anything weirder. Why would he want people in his business like that?

The Slytherins were calmer in their approach. He saw some of the Sixth and Seventh-years asking girls quietly, handing them large bouquets of flowers or chocolates. At any moment the common room could become filled with screeching girls, excitedly recounting every word that had been said.

Harry spent most days just looking at every person around him, trying to find a date. He wanted to just ask Hermione, but after the things Skeeter had said, he didn’t think it was a good idea.

He could always ask one of the other girls from his year, but he felt weird doing that. He didn’t want anyone of the girls to feel like he wanted to be their boyfriend, because he really didn’t see any of the girls in that sort of way. Sure, they were all pretty, but he wasn’t attracted to them.

He knew who he wanted to ask, but he didn’t think that would be allowed. Two boys couldn’t dance together, right?

Harry had been sitting on his couch, studying with Draco before his first real therapy session. He was nervous to speak with someone new, but he had been assured multiple times by his dad that he did not have to speak about his ‘trauma’, as Severus called it, until he was ready.

Draco had shown up to his room over an hour ago and invited himself in, claiming he just needed somewhere quiet to study. Harry knew better, this was Draco’s way of clandestinely hovering, of checking up on Harry and making sure he was relaxed before seeing the mind healer.

Draco was the only person, outside of Professor Dumbledore and Severus, that knew Harry was going to be talking to a Mind Healer. Everyone else in Slytherin had been told Harry and Severus would be having ‘Father / Son time’ on Saturday afternoons, so they were unlikely to ask too many questions or disturb Harry during that time.

It wasn’t truly a lie, the two had decided that they would have lunch together on Saturdays instead of eating in the Great Hall. It would give Harry the opportunity to talk about how his session had gone, but only if he wanted to share, while also giving him space to regain his composure if he needed to.

Harry continued to look at Draco, wondering if he could ask him the question burning in his mind. Draco had said they were brothers, but would this ruin it? Would he still want to be his brother if he was… Harry couldn’t even bring himself to think the word.

“I know I’m gorgeous Harry, but staring really isn’t polite. If you like, I will gladly give you a photograph to look at instead, you would not be the first person who needed one.” Draco smirked up at Harry over the edge of his book.

Harry wouldn’t be surprised if Draco was telling the truth. He was probably one of the most beautiful people he had ever seen. Like his mother, he had sharp angles, cheekbones that could cut glass, and a jawline that most men would kill for. But, taking after his father, his hair looked lighter and softer than unicorns’ hair. It laid smoothly without looking overly slicked and, even when messed up from flying or running, looked perfectly styled. But, he was only the second most attractive person in Slytherin— at least in Harry's opinion.

“Do you know who you’re taking to the Yule Ball?” Harry asked. He assumed Draco would be taking one of the girls from their year, but he also knew Draco had a lot of other friends from other years.

“I don’t know yet. Daphne wants me to take her little sister, Astoria, so she can come. Apparently, she is devastated that she doesn’t get to spend Christmas Eve with her sister. I don’t have anyone I want to take, so I will probably end up with her just so they can be together.”

Harry nodded, still in his own head wondering if he could ask his question. Even if he didn’t ask the person he wanted, at least he now knew that Pansy, Daphne, Tracy, and Millicent were likely still free.

“Harry, you need to stop worrying about this so much.” Draco set his book to the side and grabbed Harry’s hand. “You can take whoever you want, either as a friend or something more. I know there will be a lot of eyes on you, but mom and I will help you learn how to dance so you don’t fall or step on your date’s toes. We also already have a plan to go get dress robes that will look marvelous, only the best for my brother! There is nothing to worry about.”

Harry knew Draco was right, to an extent. He was over-reacting when it came to the ball, he knew he would look fine and that he would be passable when he had to dance. He just couldn’t figure out what he was allowed to do and what he wasn’t.

Severus and Jennette, had told him that there were boys who liked boys, and that it was ok, but were they lying? Or, were they just very nice people, and everyone else would think he was a freak?

“I can really take whoever I want?” Harry asked, waiting for him to respond.

“Anyone at all, Harry!” Draco looked as if he were about to say more, but a knock at the door cut him off.

“Come in, Dad!”

Severus poked his head through the door and gave both boys a smile. “The mind healer will be here soon, Harry, so Draco will need to leave.” Severus' voice was calm, but Harry knew his father was almost as anxious as he was. Though Severus would not be part of most sessions, Harry had asked his father to be at his first session today.

They were both anxious to meet this new woman from St. Mungos. According to Jennette, her name was Hazel Macmillan, and she had been working at the hospital for over thirty years after spending time in the muggle world to study child psychology.

Harry knew her grandson, Ernie, to be a kind but shy Hufflepuff. He was the kind of person who always brought extra quills to class in case someone needed one. During the past week of correspondence, Harry had told Jennette that he was a bit worried about Ernie learning about his mind healing, but was reassured that Hazel, like all Healers, wore the same bracelet she had shown him during their intake interview. This calmed his nerves.

Harry watched as Draco quickly packed up his books and quills before coming over to hug Harry tightly. He loved the way Draco hugged, it was not strangling or bone-crushing like Mrs. Weasley and Hagrid could sometimes be, Instead, Draco’s hugs were warm and comforting, he always felt safe.

As Harry was about to pull away Draco leaned in closer and whispered;

“If you are really worried about bringing someone, just go with a friend. You could always bring me, if that would make you comfortable.”

Harry had never expected that, for his friend, a male friend, to offer to be his date. He was stunned silent as Draco made his way out the door, pausing to say goodbye to Severus, his mind spinning, trying to find an explanation. Could he bring a boy? Draco wouldn’t have offered if it wasn’t allowed, right? Or maybe, because they are friends it was okay but it wouldn’t be okay if they were more than friends?

Harry could feel his father’s presence as the man entered the room, but he did not acknowledge him, still lost in thought

“Harry? Is something wrong?” Severus asked gently.

Harry did not know how to respond. Could he tell his father what Draco had said? He thought again, for the millionth time this week, of the things Jennette and Severus had said at his intake interview, about how boys could like boys. But, what if it wasn’t actually true.

Then Harry remembered that his father would never lie to him. He had always been honest, even when it wasn’t the nicest thing to say. And so, Harry took a deep breath and a big leap of faith

“Draco said if I couldn’t find a date to the Yule Ball I could go with him,” Harry watched carefully, hoping he could backtrack if Severus’ reaction wasn’t good. But, his father’s mouth turned up in a smile, not the grimace he had expected.

“That was nice of him. Though I assume you would rather take someone else, it is always nice to have a friend as a backup.” Severus said this with a shrug, and once more Harry retreated into his head.

So, maybe it was okay? Maybe he could ask… Harry didn’t allow that thought to go any further. Lucky for him, he didn’t have the time, because from the other room he heard a knocking on the door, and the voice of an unknown woman.


	43. Leaving the Cupboard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the outpouring of love last week! I am going to continue posting every week for a few more weeks, then I will regroup and see if that is still something I can reasonably do. I wrote a little more, and I have the story mostly outline, I am just struggling a lot with the wording.
> 
> Anyway, I think you will all like this chapter, two big things happen!

Harry moved into the living room quickly to greet his healer, working hard to push any fears he had to the back of his mind, for now.

The woman, currently shaking hands with this father, had a kind but stern face, almost like Professor McGonagall, but, unlike the Scottish woman, her features were round and soft. It was her eyes that made you believe she was not a woman to be messed with. Her eyes were like water, a piercing bright blue that could melt and be soft, but also could be freeze and cut you like ice.

“And, this is my son, Harrison.” Severus walked over to Harry and extended his arm, gesturing for Harry to walk forward. Harry almost laughed at his father’s formality. He rarely called him ‘Harrison’, it always seemed too proper, but Severus liked it, so he let it go.

“It is very nice to meet, Harrison.” The healer held out her hand for Harry to shake, smiling kindly at him.

“Uh, just Harry. Only Dad calls me Harrison.”

“Well then, just Harry. Where would you like to have this little chat?” she asked, clasping her hands together and taking in the setting around her.

Harry thought for a moment, considering using his bedroom. But, he realized he didn’t want to talk about deep stuff there, he wanted his room to be a place he could get away from his troubles.

“I think just out here would be best, in the living room?” Harry turned to Severus to see if that was alright, and was pleased to see the man nod and make his way over to his favorite chair.

Harry followed and took his place on the couch, curled up around the corner, choosing to sit as close to his father as possible. Hazel sat in the armchair opposite Severus, silently observing the little family with a notepad on her lap. Harry felt uncomfortable under the elderly woman's gaze, and made a conscious effort not to fidget, but from the lift in her eyebrow and her kind smile, it was obvious he had failed.

“So, Harry. I was able to read through all the information Jennette collected last week, but I would like you to tell me in your own words why you are seeing a mind healer. You can be as descriptive or as vague as you like, I understand opening up to a stranger can be difficult.”

Harry thought for a moment. He was glad she wasn’t just jumping in, but in all honesty, he didn’t know what to say. He assumed ‘because dad asked me to’ was not the right answer, though it was the first thing that came to mind.

“Well, Dad said it was a good idea. I’m a bit messed up I guess,” he said with a shrug.

“What do you mean when you say you are ‘messed up,’ Harry?” The woman's voice was calm and smooth, almost like Severus’. It was so soothing, even when her question felt uncomfortable.

“I get panic attacks, and sometimes I’m sad for no reason. I get scared by a lot of things, like loud noises. I’m a fre—” Harry cut himself off before finishing that word. He knew Severus didn’t like him using the word ‘freak’ anymore, but it was second nature at this point in his life.

Hazel looked at Harry for a while before making a quick note on her notepad. When she looked up, Harry averted his eyes, moving to look down into his lap.

“Panic attacks are very common, Harry. Especially when someone is under an inordinate amount of stress. Do you have many things going on in your life that may be causing you to feel stressed?”

Harry and Severus both let out a snort of laughter before looking at one another and laughing a bit more. Harry turned to the mind healer to see she was smiling at both of them.

“I know the answer to that question may be obvious, but I want to hear what, out of the long list of stressors, is on your mind and bothering you most. If it makes it easier, just give me a top three.”

Harry thought some more, but each time he tried to organize his thoughts, something new popped up. He was anxious about the Yule Ball and finding a date, that was definitely near the top of his list. He also had the other tasks to worry about, since they would likely be more difficult than the first task had been. Then he thought about things outside of school, like his relatives. He still hadn’t talked to his father about pressing charges, and he knew he would need to do that soon. _Nothing will happen, they shouldn’t be punished for beating up a little freak like you._

“I guess I’m most worried about the next two tasks. Then, I guess I’m also stressed about my relatives.” Harry turned to look at Severus, who was watching him closely this entire time. “I think I want to press charges, is that okay?”

Harry watched as Severus smiled and reached to smooth down Harry’s hair. “That is more than okay. I will contact the lawyers after this session.”

Harry could see that his father was pleased with the thought of taking his relatives to court. Harry had been on the fence about it for a while, but he thought he might feel better knowing that they were being punished for hurting him for so many years.

“I think the other thing I’m really stressed about is the Yule Ball. I have to ask someone and dance in front of people. But, I’m not really good at… well, I don’t know how to dance and I don’t know how to ask someone. I’m afraid I’ll look like an idiot”

Hazel had been taking notes while Harry talked, and nodded along sympathetically as he explained his feelings.

“Just those three things are enough to cause anyone to panic, Harry. And it is quite obvious that the list of stressors in your life is much longer. I won’t be able to help in the execution of the tasks, but I will be happy to teach you some coping mechanisms to help you manage your emotions during them.” Hazel’s blue eyes met directly with Harry’s, the genuine concern and kindness she possessed shown through those glassy orbs. Harry felt safe with this woman, like he immediately could tell she was trustworthy.

“As for taking your relatives to court, we can work on preparing for that. Trials in front of the Wizengamot can be quite extensive. You will likely need to testify, going in-depth about the abuse you suffered while living with your Aunt and Uncle. They may need to use your memories to help land a higher conviction, if that is the case, this is something I am assuming you will want to be fully prepared to do in front of other people.”

Harry hadn’t thought about that. For some reason, he assumed he could just tell people that his relatives had hurt him, show them the medical report, and be done. If a trial was going to be so invasive, he was unsure he could go through with it.

However, at that moment Harry turned to look at his father, and remembered that he was never going to be alone in this situation. He knew Severus would always be by his side, protecting him and guiding him through any hardship. With his help, and maybe Hazel’s, Harry thought, maybe he could survive a trial with the Dursleys.

So, Harry nodded at Hazel, accepting the help she had offered, feeling confident that, even if he was anxious or having panic attacks, the two adults in the room with him could offer him the help he needed.

“Now, the last thing on your list. The Yule Ball at the end of the month. The dancing I am sure is a large part of that, have you made any plans to learn how to dance before the ball?”

Harry turned to his father, hoping he would answer this question. He knew Aunt Cissa would be coming to teach him at some point, but he was unsure when.

“Madame Malfoy will be coming to the castle to teach him. However, she thought it would be best to wait until Harry had procured a date for the evening. That way he could practice with them before the Ball.”

Harry lowered his head into his hands. Now, learning how to not make a fool of himself was dependent on him asking someone to the Ball, which in turn, would result in him making a fool of himself.

“Why are you worried about asking someone, Harry? Is it that you don’t have someone you wish to go with, or that the person you want to ask is unavailable?” Hazel asked calmly. Once again Harry was amazed by how comforting the older woman's voice was. She made him want to be honest and open, even if it was scary.

“You wear the bracelet like Jennette, right?” Harry needed to make sure she couldn’t say anything to Ernie, or anyone else, before he continued. Hazel held up her wrist, showing off the silver band to Harry. Then Harry turned to Severus. It would be awkward to bring up how he felt to his father, but he needed the support, he needed someone to tell him he wasn’t a freak.

“I know who I want to ask, but I don’t know if I’m allowed to ask… him.” Harry quickly lowered his head, waiting for someone to yell at him, expecting Severus to be disgusted and kick him out or Hazel to refuse to be his mind healer.

But neither reaction came. Instead, Harry felt a pair of strong arms surround him, holding him tightly as he began to cry. The familiar scent of potions ingredients filled his nose, and he felt the long fingers of his father brush his messy locks.

“Thank you for telling us, Harry. I love you so much, my son.” Severus pulled back from Harry and placed both hands on the side of his face. He was kneeling in front of the couch, with so much emotion pouring out of his eyes. “Nothing will ever change that. As I said when I adopted you, you’re stuck with me.”

Harry hugged his father again, feeling like an elephant had taken its foot off his chest. Not only was he not a freak, but his father loved him. Severus had never said those words before, he had shown his love repeatedly through his actions, but never had he told Harry that he loved him. To hear it at this moment, when he was in doubt that his father would even want him anymore, startled Harry and filled him with joy.

The two Snapes shared their moment for quite a while, forgetting about the presence of a mind healer. Harry was reluctant to leave his father's side, he wanted nothing more than to bask in the warmth of a parent’s love for a while longer. But, then he saw the elderly woman watching, quietly sitting as to not disturb the family, so he moved out of his father’s arms and sat back on the couch. This time, however, Severus joined him instead of sitting in his chair.

When both people were seated, Severus gestured for Hazel to continue her session.

“Harry, that was very brave. Thank you for sharing that with both of us. I know in the muggle word people have many issues with people who are not heterosexual, or people who love people of their own gender. But, it is looked at a little bit differently in the magical world.”

The mind healer closer her notebook and looked at Harry. She looked even more like McGonagall at this moment, and Harry almost laughed.

“Since the invention of the _Omnis Gravidam_ potion in 1752, a potion that allows people of all genders to become pregnant, homophobia became unheard of. The only issue magical people found with homosexuality was the inability to procreate, and that was mostly due to the fact that magical birth rates were down very low at the time.”

“That still seems kind of messed up,” Harry said. He understood that the magical world must have been worried about their population, but some people still wouldn’t want kids. Harry thought of his Aunt and Uncle and shuddered; some people also shouldn’t have kids.

“It is, as you say, messed up. But, it paved the way for a society of Wizards and Witches who did not have prejudices against people for their gender or sexual orientation. Even the most conservative pure-blood families, those who discriminate against Muggleborns and Half-bloods have no issue with the LGBT community.”

The group sat in silence once again as Harry thought through all this new information. He could ask whoever he wanted, and no one would care. Harry had never felt this kind of freedom in his life. He was sure he would be bullied for his feelings, so to learn he would be safe was breathtaking.

“So, my son. Ask whoever you wish, the worst thing they can say is ‘no.’ I am sure whoever it is will be more than happy to accompany you. If the boy you are asking is who I think it is, he will be over the moon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, time for a coming out story!
> 
> Coming out was hard for me. I grew up in a catholic house and when it a catholic all-girl high school. I was told and shown by different people in my life that being gay was wrong. So, in Sophmore year of high school, when I kissed a girl for the first time, I lost it. I spent months crying, thinking something was wrong with, worried my sisters and parents would hate me.
> 
> In Senior year I came out to my best friends, who are both very catholic. They both looked at me and said 'yeah, acacia. we know. Some people have girl crushes, but yours were always a lot more.' looking back, they were right. my closet had a glass door with them.
> 
> Freshman year of college I finally told my family. I actually shouted it at my mom in a fight. I don't think I ever formally came out to dad, I think he just heard me and my sisters making jokes about being gay and, using the power for deductive reasoning, figured out that the queer one was me.  
Now, I will be honest. Me being Bi makes my parents uncomfortable, and I don't blame them for that. But they love me, and nothing could ever change that.
> 
> My sister, like my friends, didn't have a huge reaction. They basically were like 'cool, but can I still eat chick fil-a?'
> 
> Anyways, that's my fun coming out story! feel free to share yours below! Remember pride isn't only for June, be proud 24/7


	44. Shouting or Asking?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, this is going to be the last chapter I post for a little while. I hope I'll be back in August, but I cannot post chapters I am not proud of. Thank you so much for all the support. Last weeks chapter received so much love and I was so touched that many of you shared your own experiences coming out with me!

Walking back to the dorms, Harry debated his next actions in his head. He knew what he wanted to do, but the ever-present voice of his past taunted him with the possibility of rejection.

_Just ask him. The worst he can do his say ‘no’, right? That’s what Dad said, and Dad wouldn’t lie to you_

** _Oh, there are so many things he could do, all of them way worse than just rejecting you. He could yell at you, he could tell everyone you’re a freaky little homo. Maybe, if he does that, you’ll get beat up, like when Dudley would go Harry hunting. He wouldn’t be at fault for beating up freak like you, isn’t that right, homo?_ **

** **

_No, Blaise wouldn’t do that! He likes me, we are friends. He would not hug me and hold me if he didn’t care about me._

** _Maybe he’s just messing with you. Playing with you until you do something freaky, then he’ll tell everyone that you’re a freaky little poof._ **

** **

_He wouldn’t do that. Dad and Hazel said that wizards were not like my Uncle, they didn’t care about being… gay? Wait, am I gay?_

The debate continued as he entered the common room. He saw Draco and Pansy sitting by the fire reading, but he didn’t pause to speak to them, instead, he made his way up the stairs to the boy's dorms, thinking only of his broom and the great feeling of clarity flying always gave him.

Harry was so preoccupied that he did not notice Blaise, laying on his bed, reading his transfiguration textbook. Nor did he see the pleased smile on the Italian’s face as he took in the sight of the green-eyed boy.

“How was lunch with your dad?” Blaise asked, startling Harry out of his internal monologue.

Harry turned around quickly to stare at the boy he had been thinking about. Blaise looked so comfortably at ease, just lounging on his bed, the polar opposite to Harry’s inner turmoil. He tried to process a response to Blaise’s question, but he couldn’t even remember what he had asked. Too many thoughts swam around his head, and he couldn’t choose which one to say, at least, not conscientiously.

“Go to the ball with me!” Harry shouted.

“Go to the ball with me!”

Blaise felt his eyebrows raise into his hairline as he processed the shouted command. He had thought about this for a while, assuming he would need to be the one to ask Harry to the ball. He had never expected Harry, sweet, gentle, soft-spoken Harry, to ask him, let alone shout at him.

Blaise placed his textbook down and walked over to Harry, who now was looking frightened and ashamed of what he had said. _Well, that won’t do._

He placed his hands gently on Harry; one moving to his arm and the other cupping his cheek. Blaise had been thinking about asking Harry since the ball had been announced, but he hadn’t been sure, at least not until this moment, if Harry felt the same way about him.

He had been taking things as slow as he could, but if Blaise was being honest, his thoughts were always on Harry. He worried about Harry’s nightmares, he rejoiced in his laughter, and he cried with his sorrows.

Since the day the two had officially met, Blaise had been captivated by the ‘Boy-who-lived’, not because of his fame or status, but because of the aura around him. Blaise had always thought Harry was good-looking; Harry’s messy out of control black hair and striking green eyes had been written about in letters to Blaise’s mother. Which in turn led to an uncomfortable, but necessary, conversation about sexuality the summer after second year.

But, now he knew, Harry liked him too. His hugs and cuddles were not just a friendly showing of affection, they were more. A large piece of him wanted to kiss the boy, but Harry wasn’t ready; they were not there yet. So instead he placed a lingering kiss on Harry's forehead and swept back his messy curls.

“Nothing would make me happier than going to the ball with you, little lion,” Blaise said, smiling brightly.

Harry was beaming back up at Blaise, his eyes brimming with joy. Blaise took a deep breath in, hoping to capture this moment in his memories so he’d never forget a single detail.

“Little lion? I thought I wasn’t a Gryffindor anymore?” Harry asked, his smile never diminishing. Blaise pulled Harry forward until they were hugging, Harry’s head resting tenderly on his shoulder.

“You might be a snake now, but I would never want you to lose all the wonderful things that made you a lion. Your strength, courage, and passion are all Gryffindor traits, and they make you who you are. The most wonderful person I have ever met.”

Harry hummed contently from his place, resting against Blaise’s shoulder. He could feel the soft vibration from Harry’s sigh, and at the moment Blaise thought Harry seemed more like a kitten than a lion.

“You’ll have to learn to dance with me, Aunt Cissa is coming to the castle to teach me.” Harry’s voice once again held a nervous quiver. “Unfortunately, the champions have to ‘open the Ball’ which means dancing in front of people. Are you sure you still want to go with me?” Harry asked, not removing himself from the Italian’s embrace.

Blaise smirked to himself as he moved Harry’s hands; placing his left hand on Blaise’s shoulder and grasping his right tightly. Slowly, the couple began to sway, before Blaise lead Harry in a simple box step.

“Good thing I’ve been learning how to dance since I started walking, isn’t it.” The hand Blaise had resting on Harry’s waist should have been much higher, almost at his shoulder blade, but he couldn’t care about propriety. He wanted to hold Harry closer at this moment, this perfect moment, when he could finally say the green-eyed boy liked him back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I was going to leave you hanging for a little, I needed to leave you with something sweet.
> 
> I loved the way Harry asks cho in the books and movies, just kind blurting it out. Harry is not smooth, and I never want him to be!

**Author's Note:**

> This is a WIP that updates every Wednesday!
> 
> If you wanna get in touch, this is my [ tumlr ](https://acaciaraff96.tumblr.com/)


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